What this office is
A governor is the state’s chief executive. Typical duties include proposing a budget, signing or vetoing bills, appointing some officials, and commanding the state National Guard under state and federal law. Term length and term limits are set by each state’s constitution. Lieutenant-governor pairing, if any, follows that state’s ballot design.
Why it matters in 2026
Cook moved Texas’s gubernatorial rating from Solid to Likely Republican on August 20, 2026. Names on this page are the ballot certification.
Names below are taken from the election-office list cited on each card. Party labels follow that list. This page is not a certification.
- Source: Texas Secretary of State, 2026 ballot certification for the November 3, 2026 general election · accessed October 16, 2026
- Source: Cook Political Report, Texas and Iowa Senate races move to Toss Up · accessed September 17, 2026
Candidates
Names below are taken from the election-office list cited on each card. Party labels follow that list. This page is not a certification.

The Texas Secretary of State’s 2026 ballot certification names Greg Abbott, REP, for governor.
Read more:Election-office list
- Source: Texas Secretary of State, 2026 ballot certification for the November 3, 2026 general election · accessed October 16, 2026
Photo: Gage Skidmore, via Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized for this site and shown cropped to a square. Saved as WebP. If the short side was wider than 320 pixels, it was reduced to 320.
The Texas Secretary of State’s 2026 ballot certification names Gina Hinojosa, DEM, for governor.
Read more:Election-office list
- Source: Texas Secretary of State, 2026 ballot certification for the November 3, 2026 general election · accessed October 16, 2026
The Texas Secretary of State’s 2026 ballot certification names Pat Dixon, LIB, for governor.
Read more:Election-office list
- Source: Texas Secretary of State, 2026 ballot certification for the November 3, 2026 general election · accessed October 16, 2026
