Texas voting guide

Greg Abbott Republican, incumbent

Signed new congressional maps in 2025. Raised the penalty for illegal voting to a second-degree felony and backed letting the attorney general prosecute election crimes. Source

Gina Hinojosa Democratic

Left the state with other House Democrats in 2021 to delay a voting-rules bill and in 2025 to delay new congressional maps. Source

Greg Abbott Republican, incumbent

Signed a law barring cities from cutting police budgets. Backed a 2025 bail package letting judges deny bail for violent crimes like murder and rape. Source

Gina Hinojosa Democratic

Opposes the state's use of Flock license-plate cameras without warrants. Says she will "work with law enforcement" to make Texas safer. Source

Greg Abbott Republican, incumbent

Launched Operation Lone Star and built a state border wall. Has ordered state agencies to help ICE arrest and deport people and required every county to cooperate with ICE. Source

Gina Hinojosa Democratic

Opposes building a border wall through Big Bend. Has called an ICE shooting of an asylum seeker in Austin "a depraved new low at ICE." Source

Greg Abbott Republican, incumbent

Signed the Texas Heartbeat Act and the Human Life Protection Act, which ban most abortions, and a law banning abortion pills in Texas. Source

Gina Hinojosa Democratic

Says insurers, drug companies and private equity are making care more costly and wants to "reign in" them. Has called for restoring reproductive rights and Planned Parenthood funding. Source

Greg Abbott Republican, incumbent

Supports cutting property taxes and says the 2025 budget put over $50 billion toward that. Signed bans on state income, capital gains and inheritance taxes. Source

Gina Hinojosa Democratic

Proposes a one-time $1,500 refund to every Texas household from the state's Rainy Day Fund and a ban on "surveillance pricing" at grocery stores. Source

Greg Abbott Republican, incumbent

Joined other Southern governors in 2024 in a statement opposing the United Auto Workers' union drive. Source

Gina Hinojosa Democratic

Says she will "stand with workers on the picket line" and "fight for the right to organize." Source

Greg Abbott Republican, incumbent

Raised the school homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 (and to $200,000 for seniors and people with disabilities) to lower homeowners' property taxes. Source

Gina Hinojosa Democratic

Says she is "committed to reducing property taxes," paid for by ending corporate tax breaks. Source

Greg Abbott Republican, incumbent

Signed Texas's first statewide school voucher program ($1 billion "Education Freedom Accounts") and says he added $8.5 billion for public schools. Source

Gina Hinojosa Democratic

Would end the state's school voucher program and the STAAR test, and stop state takeovers of school districts. Source

Greg Abbott Republican, incumbent

Signed laws banning DEI offices at public colleges, recognizing only two sexes, and limiting girls' and women's sports to people assigned female at birth. Source

Gina Hinojosa Democratic

Filed a 2021 bill to ban the 'gay/trans panic' defense in criminal cases. Source

Greg Abbott Republican, incumbent

Created a $10 billion Texas Energy Fund for power plants and a Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office. Says Texas leads in oil, gas, wind and solar. Source

Gina Hinojosa Democratic

Calls for a moratorium on new data centers and an end to their tax breaks. Supports protecting public lands like Big Bend. Source

Greg Abbott Republican, incumbent

Signed laws banning "explicit materials" from classrooms and school libraries. Source

Ken Paxton Republican

As attorney general, made voter-fraud prosecution a priority. In 2020, sued four states asking the Supreme Court to throw out their presidential results; the Court declined. Source

James Talarico Democratic

Wants to ban partisan gerrymandering, super PACs and corporate PACs. Broke quorum twice in the Texas House to oppose redistricting maps. Source

Ken Paxton Republican

Sued Texas cities that voted to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana, saying the local rules conflict with state law. Source

James Talarico Democratic

Supports more resources for police, background checks for gun buyers, and funding mental health, housing and addiction programs to prevent crime. Source

Ken Paxton Republican

Says he will help "deport the criminal illegal aliens" and finish the border wall. Sued the Biden administration over 100 times, including over immigration. Source

James Talarico Democratic

Calls himself a "border security Democrat." Supports comprehensive immigration reform and says ICE should target cartels and gang members, "not small business owners." Source

Ken Paxton Republican

Says he will "defend the unborn" and work with President Trump to take on "Big Pharma and Big Food" to "Make America Healthy Again." Source

James Talarico Democratic

Wants every American, of any age, to be able to join Medicare, and wants to protect the ACA. Passed a $25-a-month insulin copay cap in Texas. Has said politicians should not "control women's bodies." Source

Ken Paxton Republican

Says he will cut taxes and "wasteful spending" and supports President Trump's economic agenda. Source

James Talarico Democratic

Wants to repeal tax cuts for the top 1% and close "billionaire tax loopholes." Opposes "unnecessary tariffs." Source

Ken Paxton Republican

Sued to block a 2016 federal rule that would have made more workers eligible for overtime pay. Source

James Talarico Democratic

Supports raising the minimum wage, paid family leave and the right to unionize. Proposes universal child care. Source

James Talarico Democratic

Proposes down payment help for first-time buyers and cutting rules that slow home building. Source

Ken Paxton Republican

Says he will fight "woke indoctrination in our classrooms." Source

James Talarico Democratic

Opposes private school vouchers, which he led the fight against in the Texas House. Supports higher teacher pay. Source

Ken Paxton Republican

Says he will "defeat the radical transgender movement," including transgender girls in girls' sports. Source

James Talarico Democratic

Supports the right to marry who you love. In 2026 said he opposes transgender girls in girls' sports "if it endangers safety or fairness." Source

Ken Paxton Republican

Says he will "remove harmful regulations designed to hurt our energy companies" and help bring down energy costs. Source

James Talarico Democratic

Backs an "all-of-the-above" energy plan (oil, gas, wind, solar, nuclear, geothermal) and better disaster preparation. Wants data centers to pay their own grid and water costs. Source

James Talarico Democratic

Says leaders should not "control what we say, what we read." Called a TV network pulling a late-night host "the worst kind of cancel culture." Source