Texas voters are one week away from the November 3 General Election. Early voting continues through October 30. The election will determine leaders for the 90th Texas Legislative Session beginning in January 2027.
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President Donald Trump announced a $1 million reward for reports of voter fraud in past elections and the upcoming 2026 midterm elections, contingent on arrest and conviction of those responsible. He made the announcement on social media on Monday and reiterated it to reporters before boarding Air Force One for a campaign rally in Mississippi.
$$1,000,000 for reward for voter fraud reports
Donald Trump, President; Rep. Abe Hamadeh, U.S. Representative, Arizona, Republican
President Donald Trump campaigned in Texas during the midterm election cycle. Senate candidate Ken Paxton, the Republican, faces a tight race against Democrat James Talarico. Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined Trump to display a newly arrived oil tanker carrying Venezuelan crude for processing in Texas refineries.
Donald Trump, President; Ken Paxton, Republican Senate candidate; James Talarico, Democratic Senate candidate and 1 more
Texas state Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, is pursuing a $25 million Black voter outreach initiative including media appearances and events at historically Black colleges as he seeks to gain support among Texas' 2.7 million Black voters. Some Democratic strategists and local lawmakers say his effort is insufficient and came too late.
$$25 million for black voter outreach initiative
James Talarico, Texas state representative and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate; Ken Paxton, State Attorney General and Republican U.S. Senate candidate; Jolanda Jones, Democratic state representative, predominantly Black district in Houston and 2 more
Text messages and mailers purporting to be from LGBTQ+ organizations were sent to Texans in the week before early voting began in the 2026 midterms. The organizations said they did not create, authorize, or send the communications. The sender's identity remains unknown.
Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT), LGBTQ+ youth advocacy group whose name and content were used in unauthorized texts and mailers; Mimi Marziani, Austin attorney representing TENT; Garrett Fulce, Republican political consultant and 2 more
Democrats hope to flip Collin County, a longtime Republican stronghold and the hometown of U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton, to support Democrat James Talarico. The sources describe shifting voting patterns in the county, including college-educated suburban voters moving away from Republican candidates.
Ken Paxton, U.S. Senate nominee, Republican; James Talarico, U.S. Senate candidate, Democrat; Liz Slack, Collin County voter
Nearly 4.5 million Texans voted in the first seven days of early voting from Oct. 19-23, representing 23.4% of registered voters. This outpaced 2022 midterm turnout but fell slightly short of 2018's 24.3%.
Derek Ryan, Republican consultant and data analyst; Mark Jones, political science professor at Rice University; Vinny Minchillo, GOP strategist
An interim Fort Bend County judge running for the permanent position faced backlash over a campaign ad supporting his candidacy that was later deleted. The ad's nature is not detailed in available sources.
Fort Bend County Judge (interim), candidate for permanent position
Sen. Ted Cruz campaigned at a South Carolina fundraiser hosted by U.S. Rep. Russell Fry to support Republican candidates ahead of the midterm election. Cruz called for Republican unity and made remarks about Democratic candidates including James Talarico.
Ted Cruz, U.S. Senator, Texas Republican; Russell Fry, U.S. Representative hosting fundraiser; Darline Graham, Republican Senate candidate and 2 more