Monday, October 19, 2026

Texas news, down to the facts.

Early voting is open through Oct. 30. Election Day is Nov. 3, 15 days away. Elections

Elections

Abbott, Hinojosa campaign finance reports show spending and donations gap

Campaign finance reports through Sept. 24 showed Abbott raised $20 million while Hinojosa raised $13 million. Abbott spent $70 million since July 1 compared to Hinojosa's $12 million, leaving Abbott with $17 million in the bank versus Hinojosa's $4 million. A YouGov poll conducted Sept. 28-Oct. 5 showed Hinojosa narrowly ahead 48-47 percent.

Where
Statewide
When
Oct. 6-7, 2026
Sources
Reported by 2 outlets

Taxes and money

The sources don't state an effect on taxes. They do state these figures.

  • Campaign donations (July 1-Sept. 24)$20 million1 Who pays or receives it: Donors
  • Campaign donations (July 1-Sept. 24)$13 million1 Who pays or receives it: About 136,000 donors
  • Campaign spending (July 1-Sept. 24)$70 million1 Who pays or receives it: Abbott campaign
  • Campaign spending (July 1-Sept. 24)$12 million1 Who pays or receives it: Hinojosa campaign
  • Campaign cash on hand$17 million1 Who pays or receives it: Abbott campaign
  • Campaign cash on hand$4 million1 Who pays or receives it: Hinojosa campaign

Does this affect you?

Who's involved

  • Greg AbbottRepublican governor candidate
  • Gina HinojosaDemocratic state representative and governor candidate
  • Kim SnyderAbbott's campaign manager
  • Jeff YassDonor to Abbott campaign
  • Kenneth FisherDonor to Abbott campaign
  • Ross Perot Jr.Donor to Abbott campaign
  • Tarek MansourCo-founder of Kalshi, donor to Abbott campaign
  • JB PritzkerIllinois governor, donor to Hinojosa campaign
  • YouGovPolling firm

The facts

  • Hinojosa received $13 million from approximately 136,000 donors, including $200,000 from Pritzker.1
  • Abbott received $20 million from multiple large donors in the July 1-Sept. 24 period.1
  • Abbott spent nearly $70 million from July 1-Sept. 24, compared to Hinojosa's $12 million.1
  • Abbott has $17 million in campaign funds versus Hinojosa's $4 million.1
  • YouGov poll of 3,622 likely voters (Sept. 28-Oct. 5) showed Hinojosa at 48 percent, Abbott at 47 percent, margin of error plus or minus 3 points.2
  • Abbott has won his previous three gubernatorial races by double digits.2

Who said what

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

  • Kim Snyder, Abbott campaign manager Abbott has strong support from Texans and resources needed to win reelection.1
  • Gina Hinojosa She ran a people-powered campaign while Abbott outspent her nearly 10-1, yet polling margins shrank to margin of error.1
  • Vinny Minchillo, Plano-based Republican consultant Abbott spent more money attacking Hinojosa than in previous campaigns, which is unusual for him.1
  • Luke Warford, Democratic pollster and fundraiser People have definitely made up their minds on Abbott.1
  • Mike Madrid, Republican strategist Latino voters represent the largest swing vote in America, which political establishment has been slow to grasp.2

Where the sources disagree

  • Allocation of undecided voters in polls YouGov allocated undecided voters in Senate race question but did not for governor race [2]

How they headlined it

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

  • Greg Abbott leads in fundraising, but Gina Hinojosa flexes populist appeal

    Yahoo

  • How Talarico and Paxton’s Midterms War Chests Compare

    Newsweek, Yahoo

  • Gina Hinojosa Chance of Beating Greg Abbott Flips With Pollsters

    Newsweek

Sources

Outlets: 1 left-leaning, 1 center 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. Greg Abbott leads in fundraising, but Gina Hinojosa flexes populist appeal Yahoo Lean Left, October 6, 2026
  2. Gina Hinojosa Chance of Beating Greg Abbott Flips With Pollsters Newsweek Center, October 7, 2026

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

Spot an error on this sheet?

All corrections and updates

Keep reading

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Bexar and Brazoria counties hold county judge races on November 3

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Reported by 2 outletsFound via Google News

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Reported by 2 outletsFound via Google News

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Democratic and Republican Senate candidates report third-quarter campaign fundraising totals

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$60 million for campaign funds raised, third quarter 2026

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Reported by 6 outletsFound via Google News

Elections

Elon Musk donates $158 million to support Ken Paxton Senate campaign

Elon Musk donated $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund in September 2026, which transferred the money to Texas PAC to finance advertising supporting Republican Ken Paxton in his Senate race against Democrat James Talarico.

$158 million for donation to Senate Leadership Fund

Elon Musk, Donor; Ken Paxton, Republican Senate candidate; James Talarico, Democratic Senate candidate and 3 more

Reported by 5 outletsFound via Google News

Elections

Talarico's former classmate accuses him of prioritizing politics over truth

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James Talarico, Democratic Texas Senate candidate; Mike Garcia, former college classmate making accusation; Will Cain, Fox News host

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

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Senate candidate Talarico schedules El Paso campaign rally October 26

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico announced a campaign rally in El Paso on October 26 from 6 to 8 p.m., with doors opening at 5 p.m. The event is part of his "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts" statewide tour ahead of the November 3 election.

James Talarico, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate; Ken Paxton, Republican U.S. Senate candidate, Texas Attorney General

Reported by 4 outletsFound via Google News

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"No Kings" organizers hold vote early event in Dallas Saturday

Organizers of the "No Kings" movement held a gathering in Dallas to encourage early voting. The event included speakers, music, community activities, voting information, and election volunteer opportunities.

Indivisible Dallas, organizer of Dallas gathering; Black Voters Matter Texas, participating organization

Reported by 4 outletsFound via Google News

All of today's news