Houston Democrat says she has votes to become first Black and female Texas House speaker  State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, the longest-serving woman and Black legislator in Texas history, said she has the votes to become Texas House speaker when the legislature convenes in January. view article

Houston Democrat says she has votes to become first Black and female Texas House speaker  State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, the longest-serving woman and Black legislator in Texas history, said she has the votes to become Texas House speaker when the legislature convenes in January. view article

"In case you have not heard, on day one, I will fire Mike Morath, and we will work tirelessly to repair the damage of the Texas vouchers scam and end an era in which our schools are sold for parts," she said. "We are taking our children’s education back from a government that has failed them. Schools will not be taken out of our control, shuttered or suffocated."   https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/hisd-mike-miles-protest-gina-22514236.php?utm_content=hed&sid=599cec1024c17c50392c2bbc&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=roundup&utm_campaign=chrn%20%7C%20first%20draft&stn=nf view article

The victory makes Goodwin one of the first Democrats elected to statewide office in Texas since 1994 and ends nearly two decades in state politics for Dan Patrick.  At a Democratic watch party in downtown Austin, Goodwin declared victory as supporters celebrated the statewide results. The crowd erupted after Talarico’s win was announced, followed by Hinojosa’s victory. The cheers grew so loud that parts of Goodwin’s speech were drowned out. view article

When Gina Hinojosa was asked about what she would do as governor of Texas during her campaign, her answers reflected her belief at the time that she would be the lone Democrat with power fighting daily against a wall of Republican officials determined to stop her.  Vicki Goodwin, who upset Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick after the Houston Republican had spent nearly two decades in office, has a history of flipping GOP seats. view article

The Texas Republican Party for decades has credited its policies for the “Texas Miracle” that is the state economy, which has grown faster than that of every other major state over the past 25 years. Throughout the campaign and in the hours following Election Day, those same Republicans warned a Democratic takeover would spell an end to the state’s economic success.  Economists and political observers, however, say Texans should not expect the fundamentals underpinning the state economy to change any time soon. view article

Democratic Comptroller-elect Sarah Eckhardt wants to take office before her January swearing-in to get on top of crafting the revenue estimate lawmakers need to write a state budget in the upcoming legislative session.  She said the office is behind schedule because current Republican Comptroller Don Huffines has gutted the office and laid off hundreds of staff. Eckhardt defeated Huffines in Tuesday’s sweeping Democratic victories.  “I need to be involved as soon as possible so that we can right that ship,” she said at a news conference Wednesday. “By Mr. Huffines’ own statement, he has — gosh, what were his exact words? That he had ‘ripped the agency apart?’” view article

Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa on Thursday announced leaders of her transition team, including a rural Republican whom Gov. Greg Abbott had worked to oust for opposing school vouchers. “We are forging a new way forward,” Hinojosa said. “People are tired of the divisions, of the fighting, tired of the culture wars. This is a time to come together in a way that is about just delivering for the people of Texas.” Hinojosa said former state Rep. Ernest Bailes was a close ally in “delivering for our public schools” during his time in the House. Bailes was one of two dozen Republican House members who helped block Abbott’s push in 2023 to pass vouchers, warning they could threaten the financial future of their local school systems. Several of them, including Bailes, lost their GOP primaries the next year to Abbott-endorsed opponents. The voucher program passed in 2025. view article

In this year’s historic election , over half of registered voters in Austin-area counties cast their ballots. While voter turnout was lower than 2018 levels for Austin-area counties, this year exceeded 2022 turnout. In some cases, such as Travis and Hays counties, turnout increased by 6 percentage points.  Statewide, a smaller share of Texans voted in the 2026 election compared to the 2024 presidential election, and the share remained roughly the same as in 2018. The largest increase was in La Salle County, which saw voter turnout go from 35 to 45% between 2018 and 2026. view article

Hinojosa was careful while campaigning not to overpromise what she could deliver, assuming she’d be fighting against GOP majorities. Now she and her Democratic allies will control the government   Hinojosa on Tuesday routed Gov. Greg Abbott to become the first Democrat elected to the Texas governor’s mansion in almost four decades. But Democrats also wiped out every other statewide Republican office and took the Texas House with a comfortable margin. Hinojosa will work with a Democratic attorney general — Nathan Johnson — instead of one who might have otherwise sued to stop her agenda, and while the state Senate retains a Republican majority, it will be led by a Democratic lieutenant governor-elect Vikki Goodwin. view article

Data center approvals could remain paused in Texas until legislators pass new state laws next year if Democrat Gina Hinojosa keeps her campaign promises after winning the governor’s race in a stunning victory Tuesday.  Her statements on the campaign trail went beyond Gov. Greg Abbott’s current freeze on environmental permitting and grid connections for data centers during an audit period expected to be completed this year. view article

A surge in voter turnout along the Texas-Mexico border and in the state’s most populous counties carried Democrats to an astonishing sweep in Tuesday’s election and broke a decadeslong exile from statewide office in Texas, preliminary data show. view article

Gina Hinojosa has defeated Gov. Greg Abbott in the Texas governor’s race, a stunning outcome that ends three decades of Republican control in Texas and makes her the first Latina to ever lead the state.  “Here’s what Texas said today, loud and clear: Your government belongs to you,” said Hinojosa in her victory speech. “As your governor, I will never forget it.”  At 10:17 p.m., the Associated Press called the race in Hinojosa’s favor. She was leading with about 57% of the reported vote to Abbott’s 41%. view article

Midland City Council members voted unanimously this week to end its contract with Flock Safety and remove its 73 cameras. Mayor Lori Blong and the city council voted 7-0 to terminate the Flock contract. The council had just approved a two-year $451,000 contract extension with Flock in February.  However, residents and city leaders expressed concerns about data privacy, operational costs, and misuse.  Flock cameras capture details such as the make and model of a passing vehicle as well as any unique or identifying features. Police departments are able to access data from Flock without a warrant, which has raised concerns among citizens about potential Fourth Amndment violations. On Tuesday, the council reconsidered the contract and instructed the city manager to issue a 60-day termination notice to Flock Safety. The contract allows such a termination. view article

The city’s eight Flock cameras are now disabled and will be removed.  Taylor has maintained eight Flock automated license plate readers (ALPRs) on State Highway 79 and State Highway 95 since late 2023.  Flock cameras capture details such as the make and model of a passing vehicle as well as any unique or identifying features. Police departments are able to access data from Flock without a warrant, which has raised concerns among citizens about potential Fourth Amendment violations.  The cameras in Taylor have now been disabled and will be removed in the coming days. view article

Republicans lost Texas as part of a national sweep by the Democrats. view article

Democrats won statewide offices in Texas for the first time in 32 years Tuesday.  Democrat Gina Hinojosa unseated incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in Tuesday’s election. Hinojosa currently serves as a state representative.  The governor serves as the chief executive of the state, responsible for directing state policy, signing or vetoing legislation, and commanding the state’s military forces.  Lieutenant Governor  Democrat Vikki Goodwin will serve as the state’s lieutenant governor, beating her Republican opponent and incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.  Goodwin has been representing the 47th District in the Texas House since 2018. As lieutenant governor, Goodwin will preside over the Texas Senate.  Attorney General  Democrat Nathan Johnson has defeated Republican Mayes Middleton in the race for Texas attorney general. Johnson, who has been a state senator since 2018, will replace Ken Paxton as attorney general, who ran for U.S. Senate. view article

Democratic state Rep. James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas’ U.S. Senate race Tuesday, overcoming a deluge of outside money to break the GOP’s three-decade grip on the state.  Talarico’s victory, a political earthquake unseen in Texas this century, delivers his party its first statewide win here since 1994, ending the longest active streak of one-party dominance in any state. The U.S. Senate drought for Texas Democrats extended back to 1988 — when Rick Perry was still a Democratic state lawmaker, the Cowboys were coached by Tom Landry and Talarico was not yet born.   view article

Hinojosa’s victory over Abbott, a three-term incumbent, triggers a political earthquake in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the governor’s mansion since 1990.  Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Gov. Greg Abbott Tuesday, denying the Republican a record fourth term and triggering a political earthquake in a state that has not seen a Democrat sit in the governor’s mansion this century.  “We did it. Everything is bigger, including the shock of this win. We shocked the world tonight,” said Hinojosa, in her victory speech before 11 p.m. where supporters could be heard sobbing. “It never bothered me that they doubted me. It bothered me that they doubted us. Hundreds and millions on attack ads, written off over and over again, but Texas, my faith in you never wavered.” view article

A new report recommends expanded statewide data collection in health care, education, and emergency services.  A Texas Public Policy Foundation report suggests that expanding data collection to better measure immigration’s fiscal and operational effects on public schools, health care, and emergency services will improve state lawmakers’ policy decisions.  In “Governing Blind,” TPPF’s Selene Rodriguez argued that Texas needs a standardized, statewide data-collection framework to reveal immigration-related strains on education and health care.  “The absence of consistent, statewide data limits the states’ ability to distinguish between contributing factors, evaluate where system strain is encumbered, and plan accordingly,” said Rodriguez.  Rodriguez identified health care, public safety, and education as areas heavily influenced by immigration yet fraught with data gaps. view article

Results from early voting should start rolling out after polls close at 7 p.m. It will be hours before all races are called. view article

To win, Paxton needs to keep the margin close in Collin County, his political home base. Talarico must earn epic returns in Travis County, the bluest part of the state.  Five and a half months ago, a triumphant Ken Paxton took the microphone at a Tex-Mex restaurant in Collin County, his political home base, with major news: He had spoken with President Donald Trump earlier that day, and Trump’s long-awaited endorsement had arrived. view article

The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization, is dedicated to helping Texans vote. Every major state and federal election, we produce comprehensive voter guides and reporting. We’ve collected our voting resources on this page for you to easily find and share them with others. view article

More than 40 percent of voters cast a ballot during the early voting period, passing the modern-day record set in 2018. view article

We had a Railroad Commission candidate make national news after his disparaging comments on a group of University of Texas students. We have a heated governor’s race that pitted a long-tenured incumbent against a former school teacher. And of course, we have Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Rep. James Talarico running for Senate, a race that could define the political direction of Texas. view article

A swing back among Latino voters, Harris County turnout and Republicans skipping the Senate race are among the trends we’ll be tracking as returns come in. view article

See the latest fundraising totals, where the money is coming from and how super PACs are spending in what’s poised to be Texas’ most expensive Senate race. view article

Even if a Democrat were in the Governor’s Mansion, Republicans would likely control the Legislature. Divided government could mean limited political control. view article

Ken Paxton and James Talarico are in a close race for Texas’ U.S. Senate seat, with Ted Brown also on the ballot. See where they stand on THC, data centers and Flock cameras. Talarico and Brown answered our questions; Paxton did not, so we used his past public statements to describe his positions. view article

A spokesperson for the Republican Women's Caucus Fund said the group had "absolutely no involvement" with the texts that prompted a call for an investigation. view article

State lawmakers passed strict restrictions in SB1 that criminalize paid workers helping voters with mail ballots. view article

Election results will begin rolling out the evening of Election Day, and although winners will be declared and victory speeches made, the results will be official only after they’re certified. That final step will come weeks later when election results are formally locked in and a “certificate of election” is granted to the winners. The certification itself is typically brief and without fanfare, but after rioters tried to stop certification of the 2020 presidential election at the U.S. Capitol, the process has received more scrutiny. view article

Witnesses expressed concern about foreign-funded curriculum and Sharia influences in public schools. Bierly told the committee that Austin ISD asked for materials written entirely in Arabic, and district officials offered $50,000 to hire a translator, unable to sift through the information themselves. According to Bierly, QFI contracts worth $85,000 involving the Houston Arabic Immersion Magnet School “allow QFI staff and consultants to observe classroom instruction. QFI requested access to teachers’ lesson plans before an observation.” “Foreign entities are currently observing Texas classrooms and influencing what is being taught. Across Austin and Houston, public records show more than $1.5 million in QFI funding to the two school districts since 2015,” she said. view article

Lubbock, the second most populous city in West Texas, has been a reliable Republican stronghold. Democrats, like Talarico, hope to close yawning gaps in rural areas that have kept them out of power. A sea of red baseball caps formed outside the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center before the sun rose Tuesday. By the afternoon, thousands of Republicans gathered to hear President Donald Trump. Some were draped in American flags. Others wore sequined cowboy hats. They also wore swag that said: “Trump was right about everything.”  Across the street, two dozen protesters assembled. They waved signs supporting Democrat James Talarico for U.S. Senate. Other signs were anti-Trump. Just a few short miles away, scores of Talarico supporters convened for their own rally at the town’s Fiesta Center. The line wrapped several city blocks.  By 7 p.m., Lubbock had become the center of the political universe with Trump and Talarico holding dueling rallies. view article

The first seven days of the 2026 midterm election fuel Democratic hopes but leave Republicans cautiously optimistic. view article