In Washington County, where voters backed President Donald Trump by nearly 80 percent, a Republican candidate for county judge publicly aligned himself with a drag performer who promotes drag events attended by children.
He is now trying to distance himself from his own posts.
Brad Tegeler, who is seeking the Republican nomination for county judge, has appeared on social media wearing a shirt featuring the caricature of prominent drag performer.
William Cass, who goes by the stage name “Nadine Hughes,” is known for hosting and promoting drag-themed events.
One Tegeler post shows the candidate wearing the shirt and expressing his support for Cass/Hughes and his performances posing as a woman.
Cass/Hughes’ Instagram account includes numerous promotional images and advertisements for drag events, some of which depict young children present or participating.
Despite the post, Tegeler told Texas Scorecard that he had “no personal relationship with Nadine Hughes” nor did he have “an inventory of every silly t-shirt I’ve ever worn.” He added that he has pledged to do “everything my office allows to prevent drag performance or drag-themed events in Washington County” if elected.
“People are free to exercise their right to free speech however they see fit. After a quick review of her [sic] social media account I can easily say that my values do not align with hers [sic],” he added, using female pronouns to refer to Cass/Hughes.
In addition to the shirt, however, Tegeler’s own Instagram account shows open advocacy for LGBT causes. In one image, Tegeler promotes a rainbow-colored hat displaying, “Kind people are my kind of people,” a slogan commonly associated with LGBT activism.
The social media posts stand in contrast to the political makeup of Washington County, which is often referred to as the “Birthplace of Texas” and is considered a Republican stronghold. In the 2024 presidential election, the bright red county voted over 77 percent for Donald Trump.
Drag performances—particularly involving or marketed to children—have become a contentious political issue in Texas in recent years. State lawmakers have advanced legislation aimed at restricting sexually explicit performances in front of minors, arguing such events are inappropriate for children, though those efforts have been blocked by courts.
A focal point for LGBT activism has been public libraries, including “drag” story hours aimed at young children. Tegeler is currently listed as a member of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, though his term expired in September 2025.
In 2023, a drag brunch in Brenham sparked local backlash, with residents appearing before the Brenham City Council to object to the event and warn against drag performances becoming normalized in the community.
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