# Texas Governor race 2026

Gov. Greg Abbott (R) seeks a fourth term against state Rep. Gina Hinojosa (D) in a race Cook's own poll shows within two points.

- Office: Governor
- Rating: Lean Republican (Cook Political Report, Oct 13, 2026)
- Sabato's Crystal Ball: Leans Republican
- Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- Canonical page: https://rightnewsrightnow.com/election/tx-governor/
- Back to [Election Headquarters](https://rightnewsrightnow.com/election/)

## Who is running

- Greg Abbott (Republican): incumbent
- Gina Hinojosa (Democrat): challenger

## The facts

- Abbott won in 2022 with 54.8%. (Wikipedia)
- A Cook Political Report poll, Oct. 9-13, 2026, of 934 likely Texas voters (margin of error 3.2 points; Democratic firm New River Strategies and Republican firm GS Strategy Group), found Abbott ahead 48% to 46%. (Cook Political Report)
- Decision Desk HQ gives Abbott a 70% chance of winning. (The Hill)
- Cook moved Texas from Likely Republican to Leans Republican on Oct. 1. (Cook Political Report, via 270toWin)

## Worth knowing about this race

The Cook poll shows a close race. Abbott's lead is within the margin of error.

## Why this race matters to conservatives (opinion)

Texas is the biggest Republican prize on the governor map. A loss would be a national story.

This section is the opinion of RightNewsRightNow. The rest of the page is reporting.

## Where these facts come from

- [Cook Political Report](https://www.270towin.com/2026-governor-election/cook-political-report-2026-governor): current rating, as of Oct 13, 2026
- [Wikipedia (election pages, with their cited sources)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_gubernatorial_elections): candidate and race facts