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Texas gubernatorial election, 2026
|
← 2022
|
| Governor of Texas |
|---|
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: December 8, 2025 |
| Primary: March 3, 2026 Primary runoff: May 26, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Race ratings |
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican Inside Elections: Solid Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2026 Impact of term limits in 2026 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| Texas executive elections |
| Governor Lieutenant Governor |
Texas is holding an election for governor on November 3, 2026. The primary is March 3, 2026, and a primary runoff is May 26, 2026. The filing deadline is December 8, 2025.
For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
- Texas gubernatorial election, 2026 (March 3 Democratic primary)
- Texas gubernatorial election, 2026 (March 3 Republican primary)
Candidates and election results
Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:
- Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
- Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies
General election
The primary will occur on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Texas
Bobby Cole, Gina Hinojosa, Nick Pappas, and Meagan Tehseldar are running in the Democratic primary for Governor of Texas on March 3, 2026.
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Texas
Incumbent Greg Abbott, Pete Chambers, and Ronnie Tullos are running in the Republican primary for Governor of Texas on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Greg Abbott | ||
| Pete Chambers | ||
| Ronnie Tullos | ||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Candidate profiles
There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here.
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Texas
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]
| Race ratings: Texas gubernatorial election, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 12/2/2025 | 11/25/2025 | 11/18/2025 | 11/11/2025 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. | |||||||||
Past elections
The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2014.
2022
- See also: Texas gubernatorial election, 2022
General election
General election for Governor of Texas
The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Texas on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Greg Abbott (R) | 54.8 | 4,437,099 | |
| Beto O'Rourke (D) | 43.9 | 3,553,656 | ||
| Mark Tippetts (L) | 1.0 | 81,932 | ||
| Delilah Barrios (G) | 0.4 | 28,584 | ||
| Jacqueline Abernathy (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 1,243 | ||
| Mark Goloby (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 394 | ||
| Total votes: 8,102,908 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Reginald Jennings II (Independent)
- Jorge Franco (Independent)
- Jeremy Rios (Independent)
- Ricardo Turullols-Bonilla (Independent)
- Justin Cunneen (Independent)
- Sean Sharp (Independent)
- Demetra Wysinger (Independent)
- Chioma Okoro (Independent)
- Star Locke (Independent)
- Raul Cortina (Independent)
- Patrick Wynne (Reform Party)
- Jal Dennis (Independent)
- Deirdre Dickson-Gilbert (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Texas
Beto O'Rourke defeated Joy Diaz, Michael Cooper, Rich Wakeland, and Inocencio Barrientez in the Democratic primary for Governor of Texas on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Beto O'Rourke | 91.4 | 983,182 | |
| Joy Diaz | 3.1 | 33,622 | ||
| Michael Cooper | 3.0 | 32,673 | ||
| Rich Wakeland | 1.2 | 13,237 | ||
| Inocencio Barrientez | 1.2 | 12,887 | ||
| Total votes: 1,075,601 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Texas
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Texas on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Greg Abbott | 66.5 | 1,299,059 | |
| Allen B. West | 12.3 | 239,557 | ||
| Donald Huffines | 12.0 | 234,138 | ||
| Chad Prather | 3.8 | 74,173 | ||
| Rick Perry | 3.1 | 61,424 | ||
| Kandy Kaye Horn | 1.2 | 23,605 | ||
| Paul Belew | 0.6 | 11,387 | ||
| Daniel Harrison | 0.6 | 10,829 | ||
| Total votes: 1,954,172 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Green convention
Green convention for Governor of Texas
Delilah Barrios advanced from the Green convention for Governor of Texas on April 9, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Delilah Barrios (G) | |
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for Governor of Texas
Mark Tippetts defeated Fidel Castillo in the Libertarian convention for Governor of Texas on April 10, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| Fidel Castillo (L) | ||
| ✔ | Mark Tippetts (L) | |
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Andrew Jewell (L)
- Daniel Behrman (L)
2018
- See also: Texas gubernatorial election, 2018
General election
General election for Governor of Texas
Incumbent Greg Abbott defeated Lupe Valdez and Mark Tippetts in the general election for Governor of Texas on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Greg Abbott (R) | 55.8 | 4,656,196 | |
| Lupe Valdez (D) | 42.5 | 3,546,615 | ||
| Mark Tippetts (L) | 1.7 | 140,632 | ||
| Total votes: 8,343,443 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Janis Richards (G)
Democratic primary runoff election
Democratic primary runoff for Governor of Texas
Lupe Valdez defeated Andrew White in the Democratic primary runoff for Governor of Texas on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Lupe Valdez | 53.0 | 224,091 | |
| Andrew White | 47.0 | 198,407 | ||
| Total votes: 422,498 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Texas
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Governor of Texas on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Lupe Valdez | 42.9 | 435,484 | |
| ✔ | Andrew White | 27.4 | 278,333 | |
| Cedric Davis | 8.3 | 83,817 | ||
| Grady Yarbrough | 5.4 | 54,372 | ||
| Jeffrey Payne | 4.8 | 48,269 | ||
| Adrian Ocegueda | 4.4 | 44,681 | ||
| Thomas Wakely | 3.4 | 34,737 | ||
| James Clark | 2.2 | 21,871 | ||
| Joe Mumbach | 1.4 | 13,878 | ||
| Total votes: 1,015,442 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Texas
Incumbent Greg Abbott defeated Barbara Krueger and Larry SECEDE Kilgore in the Republican primary for Governor of Texas on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Greg Abbott | 90.4 | 1,389,562 | |
| Barbara Krueger | 8.3 | 127,134 | ||
| Larry SECEDE Kilgore | 1.3 | 20,384 | ||
| Total votes: 1,537,080 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2014
- See also: Texas gubernatorial election, 2014
Republican Greg Abbott won election on November 4, 2014.
| Governor of Texas, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | 59.3% | 2,796,547 | ||
| Democratic | Wendy Davis | 38.9% | 1,835,596 | |
| Libertarian | Kathie Glass | 1.4% | 66,543 | |
| Green | Brandon Parmer | 0.4% | 18,520 | |
| Write-in | Sarah Pavitt | 0% | 1,062 | |
| Total Votes | 4,718,268 | |||
| Election results via Texas Secretary of State | ||||
Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines
| District | Kamala Harris |
Donald Trump |
|---|---|---|
| Texas' 1st | 26.6% | 71.9% |
| Texas' 2nd | 35.9% | 62.0% |
| Texas' 3rd | 37.5% | 60.1% |
| Texas' 4th | 37.5% | 60.5% |
| Texas' 5th | 39.6% | 58.6% |
| Texas' 6th | 37.2% | 60.6% |
| Texas' 7th | 63.9% | 33.9% |
| Texas' 8th | 39.3% | 58.8% |
| Texas' 9th | 46.6% | 51.6% |
| Texas' 10th | 39.9% | 57.6% |
| Texas' 11th | 33.1% | 64.7% |
| Texas' 12th | 38.9% | 58.9% |
| Texas' 13th | 26.0% | 71.9% |
| Texas' 14th | 37.4% | 60.7% |
| Texas' 15th | 51.4% | 46.8% |
| Texas' 16th | 68.1% | 28.8% |
| Texas' 17th | 39.7% | 57.8% |
| Texas' 18th | 81.2% | 17.1% |
| Texas' 19th | 25.4% | 72.5% |
| Texas' 20th | 68.7% | 28.8% |
| Texas' 21st | 38.6% | 59.0% |
| Texas' 22nd | 38.0% | 60.0% |
| Texas' 23rd | 44.8% | 53.0% |
| Texas' 24th | 39.2% | 58.5% |
| Texas' 25th | 40.4% | 57.7% |
| Texas' 26th | 36.9% | 60.7% |
| Texas' 27th | 39.1% | 58.8% |
| Texas' 28th | 60.6% | 37.4% |
| Texas' 29th | 71.8% | 26.4% |
| Texas' 30th | 77.0% | 21.2% |
| Texas' 31st | 37.7% | 59.7% |
| Texas' 32nd | 42.1% | 55.7% |
| Texas' 33rd | 71.0% | 26.7% |
| Texas' 34th | 51.7% | 46.3% |
| Texas' 35th | 46.7% | 51.0% |
| Texas' 36th | 39.4% | 58.9% |
| Texas' 37th | 78.8% | 18.1% |
| Texas' 38th | 37.5% | 60.5% |
| Source: The Downballot | ||
2016-2024
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2024 presidential election, 41.8% of Texans lived in one of the state's 224 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 41.6% lived in one of 11 Solid Democratic counties. Overall, Texas was Solid Republican, having voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016, Donald Trump (R) in 2020, and Donald Trump (R) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Texas following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| Texas county-level statistics, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Republican | 224 | 41.8% | |||||
| Solid Democratic | 11 | 41.6% | |||||
| Battleground Republican | 2 | 9.4% | |||||
| New Republican | 8 | 5.7% | |||||
| Trending Democratic | 1 | 0.9% | |||||
| Trending Republican | 8 | 0.5% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 12 | 42.5% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 242 | 57.5% | |||||
Historical voting trends
Texas presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 16 Democratic wins
- 15 Republican wins
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | D | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Texas.
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of Texas
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Texas.
- See also: Party control of Texas state government
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of Texas' congressional delegation as of October 2025.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Texas | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| Republican | 2 | 25 | 27 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 2 | 38 | 40 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in Texas' top four state executive offices as of October 2025.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor | |
| Lieutenant Governor | |
| Secretary of State | |
| Attorney General |
State legislature
Texas State Senate
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 11 | |
| Republican Party | 18 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 2 | |
| Total | 31 | |
Texas House of Representatives
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 62 | |
| Republican Party | 88 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 150 | |
Trifecta control
Texas Party Control: 1992-2025
Three years of Democratic trifectas • Twenty-three years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
The table below details demographic data in Texas and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.
| Demographic Data for Texas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Texas | United States | |
| Population | 29,145,505 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 261,257 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 53.9% | 63.4% |
| Black/African American | 12.2% | 12.4% |
| Asian | 5.3% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 0.6% | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Other (single race) | 8.6% | 6.6% |
| Multiple | 19.2% | 10.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 39.5% | 19% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 85.7% | 89.4% |
| College graduation rate | 33.1% | 35% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $76,292 | $78,538 |
| Persons below poverty level | 13.8% | 12.4% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Gubernatorial elections in 2026
There are 36 gubernatorial seats on the ballot in 2026.
See also
| Texas | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018