Texas news, down to the facts.

Early voting is open through Oct. 30. Election Day is Nov. 3, 11 days away. Elections

Elections

Texas governor's race shapes education policy direction before midterms

Governor Greg Abbott seeks a fourth term against State Representative Gina Hinojosa, a former Austin ISD school board president. Their education platforms differ sharply on testing, school choice, and state accountability policies.

Where
Statewide
When
October 2026, days before midterm elections
Sources
Reported by 2 outlets

Taxes and money

None stated in sources.

Does this affect you?

Who's involved

  • Greg AbbottGovernor seeking fourth four-year term
  • Gina HinojosaState Representative and former Austin ISD school board president
  • Mike MorathTexas education commissioner
  • Thomas B. Fordham InstitutePolicy analysis organization

The facts

  • Democrats have not won a statewide office in Texas in more than 30 years.1
  • Houston ISD D- and F-rated campuses fell from 120 in 2023 to 13 in 2026.1
  • Houston ISD A-rated campuses increased from 36 in 2023 to 92 in 2026.1
  • Education ranked behind only economy, democracy, and health care among voter concerns.2
  • 50% of Republican voters and 75% of Democratic voters rated education as "very important."2

Who said what

These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.

  • Gina Hinojosa Pledged to fire Mike Morath on 'day one'1
  • Gina Hinojosa Skeptic of standardized testing, school choice, and state takeovers1
  • Gina Hinojosa Stated priorities include ending education savings account program and more deference to local districts1
  • Amy Acton (Ohio candidate) School choice program has no transparency or accountability2
  • Amy Acton (Ohio candidate) Claims her education funding plan would require no additional costs to state taxpayers2

How they headlined it

The same event, as each outlet put it. Marked words appear in only one outlet's headline.

Sources

Outlets: 2 not rated Who's covering Texas →

These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.

  1. Three governors’ races, three tests for education reform The Thomas B. Fordham Institute Not rated, October 21, 2026
  2. Education reform at stake in Ohio, Oregon and Texas governor’s races Heartlander News Not rated, October 23, 2026

This sheet was written by AI from the sources above and adds nothing they don't state. Read the originals for full context.

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All corrections and updates

Keep reading

Elon Musk donates $76 million to Republican groups in October midterm push

Elon Musk donated $76 million to Republican political groups in the first two weeks of October ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The spending heavily targeted the Texas Senate race between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton, with more than $21 million in spending for or against candidates in that race.

$76 million for donation to Republican groups in first two weeks of October

Elon Musk, donor; America PAC, political action committee receiving donations; Ken Paxton, Republican Senate candidate in Texas and 2 more

Reported by 2 outletsOnly right-leaning outlets reported thisFound via Google News

Early voting in Texas reaches more than 2 million ballots by Thursday

Early voting in Texas has drawn strong participation in the first week, with more than two million voters casting ballots by Thursday, October 22. Denton County set a record with 34,700 voters on the first day of early voting, nearly double the 2022 first-day total. Multiple large counties reported significant turnout.

Denton County voters, cast early ballots; Harris County voters, cast early ballots; Dallas County voters, cast early ballots and 3 more

Reported by 4 outletsFound via Google News

El Paso County breaks 2018 midterm early voting record

El Paso County set a new record for early voting in the midterm election, surpassing its 2018 midterm early voting record. On Monday, Oct. 21, the county cast more than 17,500 ballots on the opening day of early voting, exceeding the 17,236 votes from the 2018 midterm opening day.

El Paso County Elections Department, election officials

Reported by 2 outletsFound via Google News

Texas voters weigh political shift during midterm election cycle

Voters in Texas are considering candidates and issues in midterm races for governor and Senate. Democrats Gina Hinojosa and James Talarico are running competitively against Republican incumbents Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton. Recent polling shows Talarico ahead of Paxton and the Hinojosa-Abbott race effectively tied. A Democrat has not won statewide in Texas in over three decades.

Greg Abbott, Governor, Republican candidate; Ken Paxton, Attorney General, Republican candidate; Gina Hinojosa, Democratic gubernatorial candidate and 5 more

One outletFound via Google News

Democratic Senate candidate Talarico campaigns across Houston area

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico held campaign events across the Houston area on October 21, 2026, including a rally at Safari Texas Ranch in Fort Bend County and stops with Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia. Talarico criticized his Republican opponent Ken Paxton on taxes and affordability.

James Talarico, Democratic Senate candidate; Ken Paxton, Republican Senate opponent; John Whitmire, Houston Mayor and 2 more

Reported by 2 outletsFound via Google News

Hinojosa to appear on CBS "Face the Nation" this Sunday

Texas Democratic gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa is scheduled to appear on CBS News's "Face the Nation" on Sunday, alongside Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Gina Hinojosa, Texas Democratic gubernatorial nominee; Thom Tillis, Republican U.S. Senator from North Carolina; Todd Blanche, Attorney General and 1 more

Reported by 3 outletsOnly left-leaning outlets reported thisFound via Google News

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