Texas Voters Will Decide Closely Watched Races for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and the U.S. Senate During the 2026 Elections
From hard-fought primaries to two runoffs to competing poll results, we are here, and on the verge of the long-awaited midterm elections of 2026. We are now witnessing attempts, from the executive branch, to adjust the political landscape and to establish entrenched power in the Executive branch. It is being described as “meddling or rigging” of the upcoming midterms.
Measures Targeting the Midterm Elections
Trump and his loyalists have resorted to a variety of measures in an attempt to steal the midterm elections, including :
- Pushing for the passage of the SAVE America Act, which would disenfranchise untold numbers of voters, especially married women, by requiring a birth certificate that shows a match between the name on the birth certificate and the name on one’s identification or driver’s license
- Casting doubt on election integrity, via disinformation, to justify nationalizing elections
- Weaponizing the federal government by installing election deniers in key government positions
- Using the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security to intimidate election administrators
- Deploying Federal agents and the Military to interfere with the election
- Gutting key agencies and Election Security programs
Mail-In Ballots Before November
As of this past Sunday, the Administration renewed its appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to allow a plan, crafted by the U.S. Postal Service, that would limit mail-in ballots ahead of November’s congressional elections, after Judge Indira Talwani’s ruling to block those restrictions on Friday. The Administration’s actions come after some states have already begun sending out mail-in ballots. It appears the final decision will come from the Supreme Court.
Texas’ Three Major Statewide Races
On the state level, the top three seats are being contested: the Governor’s office, the office of the Lieutenant Governor and the Texas seat in the U.S. Senate.
Challenger Gina Hinojosa is within 1 percentage point of the governor, well within the margin of error. Abbott has been back and forth on public education, which has suffered since he backed school vouchers, data centers that were going to receive 20-year tax breaks and has since called for a pause in their creation after increased public pressure.
There’s a growing water crisis with the City of Corpus Christi, which has reportedly received state funding, but mishandled those funds and did not invest in a desalination plant, as anticipated. The Governor has “appointment authority” over the Nueces River Authority, whose board is not engaged with this issue.
The Lieutenant Governor candidate – Vikki Goodwin, a State Representative since 2019, won the 2026 Democratic nomination in a runoff. She has faced several challenges without losing. She faces Dan Patrick, a fixture in the House of Representatives.
The race between State Representative James Talarico and Attorney General Ken Paxton appears to have drawn plenty of attention, as Talarico has been questioning Paxton’s history as Attorney General and having been impeached by the House of Representatives, controlled by the Republican Party.
Talarico has also sought to reveal the contents of a Paxton deposition, related to his residence. Paxton appears to have omitted rental income and multiple mortgages from his recent financial disclosures, making it difficult for voters to get the full picture of his wealth which is a violation of federal ethics in several ways.
Vote Early and Prepare Transportation
For the upcoming Vote, I am advising folks that it is a great idea to VOTE EARLY; to start organizing means of transportation for you, your family, friends, and neighbors in order to reach closer sites or early voting locations. Since the GOP wants to employ “Jim Crow tactics”, I say the people should respond with the Montgomery strategy – employing other means to get wherever it is you need to go!
Mobilizing Low-Turnout Precincts
In addition to the foregoing, block walking, phone banking and any means of reaching potential voters must be considered and employed. Campaigns could benefit from reaching out to “low turnout precincts” to ensure that there’s a maximum effort to reach as many potential voters as possible, as voter turnout will be the key to winning this election. Any churches that may have means of transportation could certainly be an asset for the mobilization.
Why Every Vote Matters
Remember, if our vote didn’t matter, why are they making such an effort to keep us from using it? VOTE – You’ll Be Glad You Did!!
