Tsamouris Wins Conroe ISD Board Seat
Ryan Tsamouris defeated Aggie Gambino for Position 1 in Tuesday's Conroe ISD trustee election, with Rob Hammer and Misty Odenweller also winning.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
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Ryan Tsamouris won Conroe ISD board Position 1 with 50.27% of the vote over appointed incumbent Aggie Gambino. In the same Tuesday election, Rob Hammer took Position 2 with 40.79% and Misty Odenweller won re-election over Phil Martin with 52.21%.
Why it matters
The results determine who will steer governance of a district serving more than 70,000 students and families in Conroe. The election also reflects the continued influence of the Mama Bears slate that first won seats in 2022.
Tsamouris received 50.27% of the Position 1 vote and Hammer received 40.79% in Position 2, while Odenweller took 52.21% over Martin. Official results remain subject to canvassing before certification.
The players
Conroe Independent School District
The public school district serving the city of Conroe and surrounding areas, governed by an elected seven-member board of trustees.
Ryan Tsamouris
A Conroe ISD board candidate with about 20 years of information technology experience who won Position 1 in the 2026 election.
Misty Odenweller
A Conroe ISD trustee first elected in 2022 on the Mama Bears slate, who won re-election over Phil Martin.
The details
Gambino had been appointed in January to fill the unexpired term of Tiffany Nelson. Tsamouris, who launched an independent district monitoring app in May, holds degrees in engineering from Texas A&M and has about 20 years of information technology experience.
Timeline
November 2022: Odenweller was elected on the Mama Bears slate alongside Tiffany Nelson and Melissa Dungan.
January 2026: Gambino was appointed to fill Tiffany Nelson's unexpired term.
May 2026: Tsamouris launched his district monitoring app.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Trustee election was held in Conroe ISD.
Later in November 2026: Winners are expected to be sworn in after canvassing.
Political Context
The 2022 Mama Bears slate, which ran on removing materials it called inappropriate from school libraries and classrooms, first won seats including Odenweller's. Odenweller's 2026 re-election over Martin shows the slate's influence has persisted into a second cycle.
The new trustees will make decisions affecting classroom materials, district finances and school policies for families across the district. Parents and taxpayers can track board actions through public meetings and the district's published policies.
The takeaway
Local school board races often decide policy on curriculum and spending, so following board meetings after the swearing-in gives residents a direct way to see how the new members govern.
What happens next
Canvassing will finalize the results, and Tsamouris, Hammer and Odenweller are expected to be sworn in later in November 2026.
Further reading
For context on how these trustee races fit into local voting, see Elections coverage for Conroe.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Houston Chronicle.
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