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2026 Texas Governor Election: Candidates, Polls & Voting

A ballot brings together several decisions that share an election date but may follow different rules. The office, jurisdiction and stage of the election tell you what each choice means.

Start with the office and the place

An election record describes a particular office or question in a particular jurisdiction. A statewide contest is different from a congressional district, a city council seat or a school district. An address can help connect those boundaries, but a ZIP code alone is not a guarantee of one exact ballot. Use the election authority’s own ballot lookup to confirm the final choices for a voter.

Separate a filing from a ballot appearance

A campaign-finance filing tells you that a financial record exists. It does not, by itself, establish that the person qualified for the November ballot. A primary participant, withdrawn candidate and certified general-election candidate can all leave public records. Read the election stage and the source label before treating a directory as a current candidate list. Registered write-in candidates are a separate category whose rules depend on the jurisdiction.

Read the full elections & ballots guide →
2026 · Governor

Texas governor election

Election Day: November 3, 2026. Meet the published candidates, compare reported surveys and make your voting plan.

Make your voting plan

Texas

Election Day hours: 7 a.m.–7 p.m. local time

Who is on the November ballot?

November 3, 2026 · 3 printed ballot names · alphabetical

Official November list checked .

Registered November write-in candidates

These names belong on the official write-in list, rather than the printed candidate list.

Dates for November 3

Download calendar ↓

Partial coverage: only the dated entries below have been checked. Confirm other deadlines and exceptions with your election office.

Texas · Sourced election dates
ActionDateDetails and source
Register by mail
Passed
Registration application postmark or receipt deadline
Official source ↗
Register in person
Passed
Registration application receipt deadline
Official source ↗
Early voting begins
Passed
Early voting begins
Official source ↗
Early voting ends
9 days left
Early voting ends
Official source ↗
Request mail ballot
2 days left
Eligible voters: ballot-by-mail application must be received by the clerk; not merely postmarked
Official source ↗
Return ballot
13 days left
In-person return by 7 p.m.; domestic mailed ballots postmarked by 7 p.m. may arrive by 5 p.m. November 4. Overseas and military deadlines differ.
Official source ↗

Identification: Acceptable photo ID required, with a supporting-ID and Reasonable Impediment Declaration option when eligible. Check the official exceptions and expiration rules. Official rules ↗

Regular registration closes October 5. New registration requires printing and delivering the application; an online form alone does not register you. Source ↗

Checked 2026-10-11. Confirm local details and exceptions with your election office.

POLLING · SURVEYS, NOT PREDICTIONS

What do the polls say?

38 survey records

Individual surveys of 2026 contests, including earlier cycle history from 2025. Matchups and populations stay separate; older or hypothetical matchups do not establish who is on the current ballot.

Simple average, not a forecast

Each pollster’s latest general-election survey ending within the last 30 days, with equal weight. Reviewed candidate identities join spelling variants; different matchups and voter populations stay separate. Percentages describe reported support, not a chance of winning.

Newest fieldwork appears first. When dates tie, the default favors more pollsters not marked internal or partisan in this 30-day window. Source labels remain visible; this is not a pollster-quality rating.

Likely voters · 4 polls

Sep 22, 2026–Oct 14, 2026 · Lead between the two highest answers: 1.2 percentage points

Reported answerAverage support
Greg Abbott49.2%
Gina Hinojosa48.0%
Included surveys & calculation

Add each answer’s reported support across these 4 surveys and divide by 4. No house effects, sample weights, undecided allocation or error band is applied. Incomplete numeric matchups are excluded from this calculation but remain in the survey history. Full methodology →

Likely voters · 3 polls

Sep 18, 2026–Sep 28, 2026 · Lead between the two highest answers: 3.3 percentage points

Reported answerAverage support
Greg Abbott48.0%
Gina Hinojosa44.7%
Pat Dixon2.3%
Included surveys & calculation

Add each answer’s reported support across these 3 surveys and divide by 3. No house effects, sample weights, undecided allocation or error band is applied. Incomplete numeric matchups are excluded from this calculation but remain in the survey history. Full methodology →

Hover or tap a date to see the survey and source.

Polling history for the selected matchup16 survey observations. Vertical scale: reported support from 0 to 60 percent. Select a survey date to read its source. Arrow keys move between dates. Exact figures and source links follow in the survey reports.0%15%30%45%60%Gina Hinojosa: 49.1% · ActiVote · Oct 14, 2026 · 400 people surveyed · https://www.activote.net/polls/2026/tx-governor/Gina Hinojosa: 47% · ReconMR/Siena University · Oct 8, 2026 · 617 people surveyed · https://reconmr.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/TXP004-October-Press-Release.pdfGina Hinojosa: 49% · The New York Times/Siena University · Sep 30, 2026 · 605 people surveyed · https://sri.siena.edu/2026/10/04/nytimes-siena-poll-of-likely-voters-gubernatorial-races-2/Gina Hinojosa: 47% · Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. Research · Sep 28, 2026 · 881 people surveyed · https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-its-lone-star-senate-showdown-between-talarico-paxtonGina Hinojosa: 46% · Fabrizio Ward/Impact Research · Sep 1, 2026 · 895 people surveyed · https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/voter-research/politics/2026-midterm-election-poll-texasGina Hinojosa: 45% · Emerson College · Aug 10, 2026 · 1,000 people surveyed · https://emersoncollegepolling.com/texas-2026-poll-paxton-and-talarico/Gina Hinojosa: 46% · Cygnal · Jul 31, 2026 · 800 people surveyed · https://www.cygn.al/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Abbott-Data-Center-Plan-Memo.pdfGina Hinojosa: 44% · Wedgewood Polls · Jul 31, 2026 · 800 people surveyed · https://drive.google.com/file/u/1/d/1t2mC4MFActxiBdx4ef_5crisXjD9xH7a/viewGina Hinojosa: 44% · The New York Times/Siena University · Jun 27, 2026 · 656 people surveyed · https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/30/polls/times-siena-texas-poll-crosstabs.html#composition-of-the-sampleGina Hinojosa: 43.2% · SoCal Strategies · Jun 21, 2026 · 800 people surveyed · https://socalstrategies.substack.com/p/ken-paxton-leads-narrow-texas-senateGina Hinojosa: 41% · Slingshot Strategies · May 28, 2026 · 1,670 people surveyed · https://texaspublicopinionresearch.substack.com/p/new-poll-james-talarico-leads-kenGina Hinojosa: 44% · Public Policy Polling · May 23, 2026 · 643 people surveyed · https://static.politico.com/c0/7c/2c2db3c14c74946fa393d9e485cc/texas-gen-results-ppp-5-26-1.pdf?nname=playbook&nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&nrid=4f4d3aeb-621a-47b9-a66d-d9944fed5257Gina Hinojosa: 43% · Texas Southern University Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center · May 6, 2026 · 1,223 people surveyed · https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_iPARgG4ScAjPXaqXfHse9R9hnvGS6If/viewGina Hinojosa: 43% · Slingshot Strategies · Apr 20, 2026 · 1,018 people surveyed · https://www.texastribune.org/2026/04/28/texas-us-senate-poll-talarico-cornyn-paxton-2026-midterms/Gina Hinojosa: 42% · University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs/YouGov · Jan 31, 2026 · 1,502 people surveyed · https://www.uh.edu/hobby/primary2026/state.pdfGina Hinojosa: 42% · University of Houston/YouGov · Jan 31, 2026 · 1,502 people surveyed · https://www.uh.edu/hobby/primary2026/state.pdfGreg Abbott: 50.9% · ActiVote · Oct 14, 2026 · 400 people surveyed · https://www.activote.net/polls/2026/tx-governor/Greg Abbott: 48% · ReconMR/Siena University · Oct 8, 2026 · 617 people surveyed · https://reconmr.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/TXP004-October-Press-Release.pdfGreg Abbott: 46% · The New York Times/Siena University · Sep 30, 2026 · 605 people surveyed · https://sri.siena.edu/2026/10/04/nytimes-siena-poll-of-likely-voters-gubernatorial-races-2/Greg Abbott: 52% · Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. Research · Sep 28, 2026 · 881 people surveyed · https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-its-lone-star-senate-showdown-between-talarico-paxtonGreg Abbott: 49% · Fabrizio Ward/Impact Research · Sep 1, 2026 · 895 people surveyed · https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/voter-research/politics/2026-midterm-election-poll-texasGreg Abbott: 49% · Emerson College · Aug 10, 2026 · 1,000 people surveyed · https://emersoncollegepolling.com/texas-2026-poll-paxton-and-talarico/Greg Abbott: 49% · Cygnal · Jul 31, 2026 · 800 people surveyed · https://www.cygn.al/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Abbott-Data-Center-Plan-Memo.pdfGreg Abbott: 50% · Wedgewood Polls · Jul 31, 2026 · 800 people surveyed · https://drive.google.com/file/u/1/d/1t2mC4MFActxiBdx4ef_5crisXjD9xH7a/viewGreg Abbott: 51% · The New York Times/Siena University · Jun 27, 2026 · 656 people surveyed · https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/30/polls/times-siena-texas-poll-crosstabs.html#composition-of-the-sampleGreg Abbott: 53.9% · SoCal Strategies · Jun 21, 2026 · 800 people surveyed · https://socalstrategies.substack.com/p/ken-paxton-leads-narrow-texas-senateGreg Abbott: 46% · Slingshot Strategies · May 28, 2026 · 1,670 people surveyed · https://texaspublicopinionresearch.substack.com/p/new-poll-james-talarico-leads-kenGreg Abbott: 48% · Public Policy Polling · May 23, 2026 · 643 people surveyed · https://static.politico.com/c0/7c/2c2db3c14c74946fa393d9e485cc/texas-gen-results-ppp-5-26-1.pdf?nname=playbook&nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&nrid=4f4d3aeb-621a-47b9-a66d-d9944fed5257Greg Abbott: 49% · Texas Southern University Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center · May 6, 2026 · 1,223 people surveyed · https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_iPARgG4ScAjPXaqXfHse9R9hnvGS6If/viewGreg Abbott: 48% · Slingshot Strategies · Apr 20, 2026 · 1,018 people surveyed · https://www.texastribune.org/2026/04/28/texas-us-senate-poll-talarico-cornyn-paxton-2026-midterms/Greg Abbott: 49% · University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs/YouGov · Jan 31, 2026 · 1,502 people surveyed · https://www.uh.edu/hobby/primary2026/state.pdfGreg Abbott: 49% · University of Houston/YouGov · Jan 31, 2026 · 1,502 people surveyed · https://www.uh.edu/hobby/primary2026/state.pdfJan 31, 2026Oct 14, 2026
Gina HinojosaGreg Abbott

Party colors: Republican red, Democratic blue, Independent purple. Other or unmatched affiliations are gray. Dash patterns distinguish candidates sharing a color.

Dots show reported support. Lines connect surveys over time—not an average or forecast. Pollsters can differ. Missing values and multiple surveys ending on the same date break the lines.

How to read this chart

No average, trend estimate, or win probability. Different matchups and populations are not combined. Dates mark the last day people were surveyed. The vertical scale always starts at zero; use “Full 0–100% scale” to compare charts on the same scale. The number of people surveyed is the survey sample size, not the number supporting a candidate. Select “Survey source” to inspect every report, including overlapping dots.

Individual survey reports (16)

Latest surveys · selected matchup

Individual reports. Original sources and methodology below.

2026 Texas

ActiVote

Fieldwork –
Reported support
  • Gina HinojosaDemocratic49.1%
  • Greg AbbottRepublican50.9%

0–100% scale · Listed alphabetically

Sample
400 people surveyed
Population
Likely voters
Survey details & methodology
Reported margin of error
Not supplied in this feed
Method
Not supplied in this feed
Sponsors
Not supplied in this feed
Pollster/sponsor partisan label
Not supplied
Internal poll
Not marked internal by provider
Added by provider
Provider ID
gov202actb83eec7b
Fieldwork –
Reported support
  • Gina HinojosaDemocratic47%
  • Greg AbbottRepublican48%

0–100% scale · Listed alphabetically

Sample
617 people surveyed
Population
Likely voters
Survey details & methodology
Reported margin of error
Not supplied in this feed
Method
Not supplied in this feed
Sponsors
Not supplied in this feed
Pollster/sponsor partisan label
Not supplied
Internal poll
Not marked internal by provider
Added by provider
Provider ID
gov202rec101a5410
Fieldwork –
Reported support
  • Gina HinojosaDemocratic49%
  • Greg AbbottRepublican46%

0–100% scale · Listed alphabetically

Sample
605 people surveyed
Population
Likely voters
Survey details & methodology
Reported margin of error
Not supplied in this feed
Method
Not supplied in this feed
Sponsors
Not supplied in this feed
Pollster/sponsor partisan label
Not supplied
Internal poll
Not marked internal by provider
Added by provider
Provider ID
gov202theafe06bf1
Fieldwork –
Reported support
  • Gina HinojosaDemocratic47%
  • Greg AbbottRepublican52%

0–100% scale · Listed alphabetically

Sample
881 people surveyed
Population
Likely voters
Survey details & methodology
Reported margin of error
Not supplied in this feed
Method
Not supplied in this feed
Sponsors
Fox News
Pollster/sponsor partisan label
Not supplied
Internal poll
Not marked internal by provider
Added by provider
Provider ID
gov202bea2d2ef4cb
Fieldwork –
Reported support
  • Gina HinojosaDemocratic46%
  • Greg AbbottRepublican49%

0–100% scale · Listed alphabetically

Sample
895 people surveyed
Population
Likely voters
Survey details & methodology
Reported margin of error
Not supplied in this feed
Method
Not supplied in this feed
Sponsors
Not supplied in this feed
Pollster/sponsor partisan label
Not supplied
Internal poll
Not marked internal by provider
Added by provider
Provider ID
gov202fab3ce59a7d
Fieldwork –
Reported support
  • Gina HinojosaDemocratic45%
  • Greg AbbottRepublican49%

0–100% scale · Listed alphabetically

Sample
1,000 people surveyed
Population
Likely voters
Survey details & methodology
Reported margin of error
Not supplied in this feed
Method
Not supplied in this feed
Sponsors
Nexstar Media
Pollster/sponsor partisan label
Not supplied
Internal poll
Not marked internal by provider
Added by provider
Provider ID
gov202emebe4786e2
2026 Texas

Cygnal

Fieldwork –
Reported support
  • Gina HinojosaDemocratic46%
  • Greg AbbottRepublican49%

0–100% scale · Listed alphabetically

Sample
800 people surveyed
Population
Likely voters
Survey details & methodology
Reported margin of error
Not supplied in this feed
Method
Not supplied in this feed
Sponsors
Uknown Sponsor
Pollster/sponsor partisan label
REP
Internal poll
Not marked internal by provider
Added by provider
Provider ID
gov202cygc8150f78
Fieldwork –
Reported support
  • Gina HinojosaDemocratic44%
  • Greg AbbottRepublican50%

0–100% scale · Listed alphabetically

Sample
800 people surveyed
Population
Likely voters
Survey details & methodology
Reported margin of error
Not supplied in this feed
Method
Not supplied in this feed
Sponsors
Not supplied in this feed
Pollster/sponsor partisan label
Not supplied
Internal poll
Not marked internal by provider
Added by provider
Provider ID
gov202wedaa8a5561

Labels and figures are supplied by VoteHub. A listed matchup does not establish ballot qualification or primary/general-election status unless the source explicitly says so. Unlisted responses may include undecided voters or other choices; the displayed figures are not rescaled to total 100%.

Polling compilation: VoteHub · CC BY 4.0. Electionpedia normalizes dates, matches races, and visualizes reported results; it does not estimate outcomes. Original survey links are attached to each report.

Saved polling snapshot in use (captured 10/16/2026, 9:21:35 PM UTC). Automatic refresh has not completed for every feed; check each survey’s field dates.

Last successful feed updates
  • Senate: 10/16/2026, 9:21:35 PM UTC · 474 survey records
  • House: 10/16/2026, 9:21:35 PM UTC · 133 survey records
  • Governor: 10/16/2026, 9:21:35 PM UTC · 349 survey records
  • National preference: 10/16/2026, 9:21:35 PM UTC · 546 survey records

An update time is when we checked the feed, not when a survey was conducted. Coverage is not exhaustive.

Follow campaign money

Governor campaigns file with their state’s campaign-finance authorities. Federal candidate totals do not describe this race.

TEXAS ETHICS COMMISSION ↗

State campaign-finance sources →

No verified prediction-market match is connected for this race yet. See national House and Senate market prices →

Election inventory: National Governors Association ↗ · checked 2026-10-11. Ballot status comes from the separate state certification when present.