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.
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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.
Greg Abbott, Governor seeking fourth four-year term; Gina Hinojosa, State Representative and former Austin ISD school board president; Mike Morath, Texas education commissioner and 1 more
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appeared on 'The Will Cain Show' to discuss key political matchups in Texas and CAIR Action's support for Democratic candidates James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa.
Greg Abbott, Texas Governor; James Talarico, Democratic candidate; Gina Hinojosa, Democratic candidate and 1 more
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
Early voting in Denton County drew record numbers during the first week, with 34,700 voters on the opening Monday and over 120,600 total ballots cast by Thursday. North Texas saw more early voters than in previous years.
Denton County voters, cast ballots during early voting
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
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
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
Early voting increased in Texas as the midterm elections approached. Democrat James Talarico cast his ballot in the U.S. Senate race against Republican Ken Paxton.
James Talarico, Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate; Ken Paxton, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate; Donald Trump, President campaigning for Republicans