Here’s a quick recap of what happened over the last week:
Abbott Announces for Reelection
On Sunday in Houston, Gov. Abbott announced that he will seek a fourth term as Governor. Abbott was first elected Governor in 2014, and if he is reelected and serves the full four years, he will become the longest serving Governor in the state’s history, surpassing the tenure of Rick Perry, who served 14 years from 2000 to 2014.
During the announcement, Abbott pledged to overhaul the state’s property tax system that has already undergone major changes and reductions over the past several years. In the 2025 regular session, legislators appropriated $51 billion to offset local property tax rates, amounting to nearly one-third of the state dollars contained in the biennial budget. Abbott placed the blame on local governments for the increase in property tax rates through the years, and vows to give voters more control over how and when local entities can raise property tax rates.
Among his proposal, Abbott is calling for strict spending limits for local governments, cap on appraisals at 3%, and more control of rates by the voters including a requirement of 2/3rds approval for all local rate increases and a lower threshold for rollback elections. Abbott is also calling for a constitutional amendment to eliminate public school property taxes, which would eliminate the main funding source for the funding of public schools, leaving the state with the sole responsibility of funding schools. While Abbott laid out many proposals for property tax cuts, he did not provide a proposal for a new funding source for public schools or local governments.
Abbott enters the 2026 cycle with a reported $87 million in his campaign coffers, a figure that was reported in July reflecting money raised after the regular session. The next report due in January will likely include a figure of well over $100 million that can be used to fight off any challengers. As of now, there are no credible challengers in the Republican primary. The two main Democratic challengers are state Rep. Gina Hinojosa of Austin and Houston attorney Andrew White, the son of former Governor Mark White.
Abbott can also now tout the endorsement of President Trump. On Tuesday, the President endorsed Abbott’s reelection, praising him for his efforts in the Congressional redistricting battles earlier this year.
US Senate Republican Primary
Incumbent US Senator John Cornyn announced over the weekend he has spoken recently to President Trump, and he feels “hopeful that sometime in the future” the President will endorse Cornyn’s candidacy for reelection. Cornyn also announced this week he has received the endorsements of over 30 current and former elected officials from the DFW area including Congressmen Craig Goldman and Jake Ellzey as well as Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker.
Cornyn is facing a stiff challenge from Texas AG Ken Paxton and Houston Congressman Wesley Hunt in the Republican primary. Cornyn’s claim is that the President and his political advisors look at Cornyn as the more favorable general election candidate due to past legal and personal troubles Paxton has experienced and low name ID for Hunt outside of the Houston area. Polls have shown varying results, with none of the candidates reaching near the 50% threshold to avoid a runoff. Most polls focusing strictly on likely Republican primary voters show Paxton ahead of Cornyn. Cornyn had been critical and reluctant of a Trump candidacy before the 2024 Presidential election, a fact not lost on the more hardline conservative voter.
In response, the Hunt campaign released a poll this week showing the three major candidates in a dead heat. The poll conducted by Harper Polling surveyed 614 likely Republican primary voters during the last week of October and found Cornyn leading with 25.5% of the vote. Paxton came in at 25% and Hunt was a close third at 23.6%. The Hunt campaign calls this very good news due to his lagging name ID and subsequent proximity to the other two better known candidates. He may have a point there. For Cornyn to be favored by only 1/4th of primary voters does not bode well for a four-term incumbent.
The poll from the Hunt campaign can be found here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rsdmi7thxlo14eh9qdseu/10.31-Hunt-TX-Memo.pdf?_bhlid=92373e6aee60645232737b4d80f90a6e46735523&rlkey=8z1lbk8bcj93l2b96mogfs7oo&e=2&st=ajqrtk4k&dl=0
Lt. Governor Patrick Commits to Turning Point USA Chapters
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has committed $1 million from his campaign coffers to help launch Turning Point USA chapters at every college and high school campus in the state. Turning Point USA is the conservative political organization founded by Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated while debating in a public forum at Utah Valley University in September.
The organization was started by Mr. Kirk in 2012 with the endeavor to challenge an environment on college campuses he deemed to be unfriendly to conservative points of view. The organization gained notoriety through Kirk’s “prove me wrong” settings, where he openly debated with others that disagreed with his views. The movement has been galvanized since Kirk’s death, with students joining the organization in record numbers throughout the state. There are currently nearly 100 Turning Point USA chapters on high school and college campuses throughout the state. Texas has approximately 150 colleges and universities and 1,200 public school districts.
Houston Cooperating with ICE
Houston Mayor John Whitmire has acknowledged that the city is cooperating with federal immigration authorities. Whitmire had previously indicated the city’s police officers would not be assisting ICE agents with deportation actions.
However, when speaking at a conference over the weekend, Whitmire was praised for keeping the city safe while other major cities were facing high-crime activity. Whitmire acknowledged that some level of cooperation with the Trump administration was necessary to keep Houston from suffering the same fate as other larger cities in the country. According to reports from the Houston Chronicle, ICE has been increasing its activity in Houston as the Trump administration continues its program to locate and deport undocumented individuals. Whitmire went on to say that while it is not the responsibility of the city to “deal with immigration”, law enforcement does have the responsibility to contact other agencies that issue warrants. The vast majority of HPD calls to ICE have stemmed from traffic stops where the alleged offender is found to have an outstanding warrant for deportation.
Recently, ICE reported making more than 1,500 arrests across the entire Houston area over a 10-day period. Included in the arrests were an individual wanted for murder in Honduras, one convicted of three DWI’s, and another who was out on bail after being arrested for extortion. The others arrested – according to the release from ICE – stemmed from outstanding warrants for offenses including aggravated felonies, aggravated assault, and DWI’s.
California Governor Makes Stop in Texas
Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsome was in Houston over the weekend to rally with Texas Democrats to celebrate the passage of Proposition 50 by California voters that approved a redraw of that state’s Congressional Districts. Newsome led the effort in California to redraw the state’s Congressional Districts – which there must be approved by the voters – after Texas redrew its 38 Congressional Districts this summer in an effort to increase the number of Republicans elected to Congress from Texas. California followed suit and redrew their districts intended to elect more Democrats from that state.
Among the Texas Congressional delegation, Republicans currently hold a 25-12 partisan advantage, with one seat vacant. The newly drawn Texas districts have the potential to increase that advantage to 30-8. The California plan has the potential to increase Democratic seats there from 43 to 48.
The state’s most high-profile Democrats were in attendance including Dallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and state House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Gene Wu of Houston. In speaking to the estimated crowd of 800, Newsome claimed the actions of the Texas Legislature “woke us up” and California voters overwhelmingly approved the proposal with 64% of the vote. Among Democrats, this is considered a huge political win for Newsome who is considered an early front runner for the Democratic nomination for President in 2028.
Political Notes
Former City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards and Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee are in a runoff to determine who will serve out the term of the late Sylvester Turner in Congressional District 18, based in Houston. Congressman Al Green, Democrat from Houston, saw his current Congressional District 9 redrawn to favor the election of a Republican. So, Green announced this week he will seek reelection to Congress in Congressional District 18, setting up a March Democratic primary against the eventual winner of the special election runoff to be held in February. Green says many of his voters have been shifted to the new CD 18 and he feels those voters should have the opportunity to send him back to Congress.
Five-term Republican Congressman Jodey Arrington of Lubbock announced this week he will not seek reelection in 2026. No word on future plans, but Arrington is giving up his powerful chairmanship of the House Budget Committee, so there must be something lucrative in the works. Lubbock County Commissioner Jason Corley and Lubbock business owner Tom Sell are the first to jump in the race to succeed Arrington in this solidly red West Texas district.
Longtime Democratic state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer of San Antonio announced this week he is weighing a run for Bexar County DA. In a statement he said he will evaluate the operations of the agency before making a final decision. Incumbent DA Joe Gonzalez announced in June he would not seek a third term. Martinez Fischer currently represents House District 116 in northwest Bexar County. He served as House Democratic Caucus chair from 2023-24.
Controversial Tarrant County Republican Party Chairman Bo French has launched a bid for Railroad Commissioner. French has repeatedly come under fire during his tenure for his social media posts using racial and homophobic slurs. Most recently, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick called for French to resign after French posted on X a poll asking followers who posed a bigger threat to the US – Jews or Muslims. French apologized for and deleted the post. French will be challenging incumbent Commissioner Jim Wright in the Republican primary.
Former Houston Congressman Chris Bell has quietly joined the Democratic primary in the race for Governor in 2026, joining state Rep. Gina Hinojosa of Austin and Houston attorney Mark White. Bell was the Democratic nominee for Governor in 2006, eventually losing to incumbent Republican Governor Rick Perry. In addition to his one term in Congress, he also served on the Houston City Council.
Dallas attorney Sanjay Narayan has announced his Republican primary challenge to incumbent state Rep. Morgan Meyer of Highland Park. Narayan has experience with the activist wing of the party and will challenge Meyer from the right. Meyer currently serves as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Incumbent Democratic state Rep. Terry Canales of Edinburg has drawn a Republican challenger. Edinburg high school teacher Vangela Churchill will challenge Canales in 2026. Canales serves as chair of the Transportation Funding Subcommittee and was first elected in 2012. Canales has run unopposed since 2018. Republicans see this race as an opportunity due to the recent trend in the Valley leaning more Republican.
Democrat state Rep. James Talarico of Austin has released a poll showing him with a 48% to 42% lead over rival Colin Allred in the race for the Democratic nomination for US Senate. Talarico and Allred are the only two major Democrats in the race now, but Dallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett is considering a run. If she were to enter, she would become the frontrunner.
State Rep. Briscoe Cain of Deer Park can now tout the endorsement of a potential future colleague in his race for the newly drawn Congressional District 9. Sugar Land Republican Congressman Troy Nehls has given Cain the nod over former Republican nominee for Harris County Judge Alexandra del Moral Mealer.
What’s Next??
The candidate filing period for those seeking office in 2026 has begun and runs through December 8th. We will monitor the filings and continue to watch the retirements and other movements regarding the 2026 races for legislative, congressional, and statewide offices.