Texas midterm elections 2026: Key races and what to know
Texas midterm elections 2026: Key races and what to know
Eric Orvieto Tue, October 20, 2026 at 2:54 PM UTC
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Governor of Texas Greg Abbott speaks during the second day of the Republican National Committee midterm convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on September 10, 2026. US Republicans are betting that putting President Donald Trump at the center of their campaign can rescue a party facing grim election forecasts, despite the president's negative approval ratings. A day earlier, on the first day of the midterm convention, he promised $5,000 to every American adult if Republicans retain control of Congress in November. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images)
Early voting has begun in Texas, which, for the first time in recent memory, features a number of extremely competitive midterm races.
The two races atop the Lonestar ballot, US Senate and governor, remain tight with big spenders like Elon Musk pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into them. Talarico, however, has raised a record-amount of money, as well.
In the Senate, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Rep. James Talarico are locked in one of the most-contested, impactful and hard-fought battles in the country. This has led President Donald Trump to schedule a trip back to Texas on Oct. 27 to campaign for Paxton and Talarico to compare his campaign to the biblical figure David.
Polls remain close in what is one of the key races that will help determine which party will control the Senate in 2027.
Texas governor race
The other high-profile statewide race in Texas, for governor, is nearly as close as Election Day nears.
State Rep. Gina Hinojosa is taking on incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott, who has been in office since 2015.
As the two cast their ballots and work to boost voter turnout, Hinojosa announced a lawsuit against Abbott to review emails between his office and Musk.
Hinojosa recently held an event next to an empty lectern after her invitation for a debate with Abbott went unaccepted. Abbott recently announced he has been endorsed by a dozen Democratic sheriffs from across the state.
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Texas House races
While Republicans hoped to add a number of US House seats with mid-decade redistricting, a number of those races remain competitive due to possible shifts in the Latino vote.
The Texas House battles to watch on Election Day include:
(Incumbent in italics)
Texas District 9: Alex Mealer (R) vs. Leticia Gutierrez (D)
Texas District 15: Monica De La Cruz (R) vs. Bobby Pulido (D)
Texas District 23: Brandon Herrera (R) vs. Katy Padilla Stout (D)
Texas District 28: Tano Tijerina (R) vs. Henry Cuellar (D)
Texas District 34: Eric Flores (R) vs. Vicente Gonzalez (D)
Texas District 35: Carlos De La Cruz (R) vs. Johnny Garcia (D)
Source: “AOL Breaking”
