Texas news, down to the facts.

Early voting is open through Oct. 30. Election Day is Nov. 3, 5 days away. Elections

Elections

Texas comptroller candidates differ on school voucher fund expansion

The 2026 race for Texas comptroller features a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian and Green Party candidate competing to oversee the state's $1 billion school voucher fund (TEFA). Republican Don Huffines, the current comptroller, supports doubling the fund's budget for the next biennium. Democrat Sarah Eckhardt opposes rapid expansion before evaluating program results.

Where
Statewide
When
2026
Sources
One outlet

Taxes and money

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

  • Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) current fund size$1 billion1 Who pays or receives it: State of Texas
  • Additional TEFA funding requested for 2028-29 biennium$1 billion1 Who pays or receives it: State of Texas
  • TEFA requests for fundingmore than 274,000 requests1
  • TEFA students funded before fund reached capmore than 100,000 students1 Who pays or receives it: State of Texas

Does this affect you?

Who's involved

  • Don HuffinesRepublican comptroller candidate and current comptroller
  • Sarah EckhardtDemocratic state senator and comptroller candidate
  • Greg AbbottGovernor who appointed Huffines as comptroller
  • Kelly HancockFormer acting comptroller defeated by Huffines in March primary
  • Brent BoyeaPolitical science professor at University of Texas at Arlington
  • Jim HamillCox School of Business at Southern Methodist University

The facts

  • Texas counted more than 274,000 requests for TEFA money for private or home schooling.1
  • More than 100,000 students received TEFA money before the program hit its $1 billion cap.1
  • Huffines asked legislators to add another $1 billion to TEFA for the 2028-29 biennium.1
  • Huffines defeated former acting comptroller Kelly Hancock in March's Republican primary.1
  • Abbott appointed Huffines as comptroller this spring after Huffines previously ran to unseat him as governor.1
  • State data shows 70% of TEFA recipients already had children in private or home schools.1

Who said what

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

  • Don Huffines He is a champion of the TEFA program and it will substantially increase.1
  • Don Huffines The comptroller must present the legislature a budget including everyone on the TEFA waitlist.1
  • Sarah Eckhardt New programs should not double funding before completing a single year of operation.1
  • Sarah Eckhardt The comptroller should assess program results and report to lawmakers on program effectiveness.1

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. Texas’ next comptroller will control $1 billion school voucher fund – and it could double Houston Public Media Not rated, October 29, 2026
  2. Texas’ next comptroller will control $1 billion school voucher fund – and it could double www.kera.org Not rated, October 29, 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

Polls show Democratic leads in Texas Senate and governor races

Recent polls show Democratic candidates leading Republican incumbents in Texas's U.S. Senate and governor races ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm election.

James Talarico, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate; Ken Paxton, Republican U.S. Senate candidate (incumbent Attorney General); Gina Hinojosa, Democratic gubernatorial candidate and 3 more

Reported by 3 outletsFound via Google News

Vice President Vance campaigns in Weatherford five days before election

Vice President JD Vance held a campaign rally in Weatherford on October 29, 2026, as Republicans campaigned five days before the November 3 midterm election. This was his third Texas campaign stop in roughly a month.

JD Vance, Vice President, campaigning; Texas Republican Party, Organizer of event; Weatherford police, Traffic control and 1 more

Reported by 2 outletsFound via Google News

Bexar County will delay releasing early voting results until all voters cast ballots

Bexar County Elections Administrator Michele Carew announced she will not release early voting and mail-in ballot results until all voters in line have cast their ballots on election night, a departure from most Texas counties' practice of releasing those results shortly after polls close at 7 p.m.

Michele Carew, Bexar County Elections Administrator

Reported by 2 outletsFound via Google News

Democratic Senate candidate Talarico campaigns in Amarillo ahead of Nov. 3

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico campaigned in Amarillo on Oct. 28, 2026, drawing a crowd and responding to questions about attack ads, costs for Texas families, and data-center growth. Polls show the race described as a statistical dead heat.

$200 per year for annual savings from suspending federal diesel tax

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

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

Survey shows South Asian American support for Democratic candidates in midterms

Two surveys of South Asian American voters found strong support for Democratic candidates in the November 3 midterm elections. A national survey showed 25% of South Asian Trump 2024 voters plan to support Democrats, while a Texas survey found 63% backing gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa over Governor Greg Abbott.

Indian American Impact, advocacy group that conducted national survey; SAAVETX EF (South Asian American Voter Empowerment of Texas Education Fund) and University of California San Diego, organizations that conducted Texas survey; James Talarico, Democratic nominee for Texas Senate and 5 more

Reported by 2 outletsFound via Google News

Potter County GOP sues to require hand count of all Texas ballots

The Potter County Republican Party filed a federal lawsuit in Amarillo seeking to require every Texas ballot to be hand counted before Nov. 3 midterm election results can be certified. The lawsuit argues voting machines may be vulnerable to manipulation but does not provide evidence of actual vulnerabilities or past election tampering.

Potter County Republican Party, plaintiff in lawsuit; U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, assigned judge; Potter County election administrator, defendant

One outletOnly left-leaning outlets reported thisFound via Google News

Texas data center opposition emerges as potential factor in midterm races

Data center expansion has become a contested election issue in Texas as voters oppose construction. Democratic candidates are using opposition to data centers to attack Republican incumbents, while polling shows strong statewide resistance to the facilities, particularly in rural areas.

James Talarico, Democratic Senate candidate; Ken Paxton, Republican Senate incumbent; Gina Hinojosa, Democratic gubernatorial candidate and 6 more

Reported by 2 outletsFound via Google News

Harris County Elections accused of targeting demographic groups in voting ads

Harris County Elections Department is accused of targeting nonwhite, Spanish-speaking audiences in early voting reminder ads using Meta's detailed targeting function. Investigative researcher Parker Thayer reported the county spent $43,000 on ads using filters for racial and language targeting.

$43,000 for spending on early voting reminder ads

Parker Thayer, Investigative researcher, Capital Research Center; Harris County Elections Department, Accused of targeting demographics in ads; Christine Welborn, President, Advancing Integrity and 1 more

Reported by 4 outletsFound via Google News

All of today's news