Who running for Texas governor in 2026 ? Meet Greg Abbott challengers

yahoo.com · Feb 20, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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Gov. Greg Abbott will likely be the incumbent nominee for the Republican part in the 2026 gubernatorial election. For over a decade, he’s served as the chief executive of Texas, which hasn’t elected a Democrat to statewide office in over 30 years. And with over $100 million of cash in campaign coffers, he has a massive financial advantage — but he still has plenty of candidates running against him despite the odds.Abbott is facing 10 opponents in the primary, and in the general election he will oppose the winner of the nine-person Democratic primary.ELECTIONS: Texas Voter Guide 2026: What’s on the ballot in Austin on March 3?Here is a breakdown of the contenders.Democratic candidates in the primary race for Texas governorDemocratic candidate for governor Gina Hinojosa speaks at Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico’s campaign event at El Palacio Event Center in Austin Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman)Of the nine Democratic primary candidates, only three are polling above 5% with one clearly ahead of the pack, according to a recent poll from the University of Houston Hobby School of Public AffairsState Rep. Gina Hinojosa, who represents a significant portion of Austin and Travis County, is polling at 37%, 30 points ahead of the next candidate. As the likely nominee, she was only 7 points behind in a general election poll by the Hobby School.Gina HinojosaHinojosa is a five-term Democratic state representative from House District 49, which spans central Austin and includes the University of Texas at Austin. At the Capitol, she sits on the House Public Education and Business & Industry committees and has chaired the Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee.Her campaign pitch is heavily “kitchen-table”: public schools, health care costs and day-to-day affordability. On her policy page, she argues Texas should crack down on “profit-over-patients” practices — including private equity ownership in health care — while also taking direct aim at insurance and drug costs.Texas Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, speaks to the crowd during a “Stop ICE Rally” at Pan American Neighborhood Park in East Austin, Jan. 31, 2026. Thousands gathered at the park to hear politicians and community leaders speak against the practices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Texas, Minnesota and around the country. Hinojosa is running against Greg Abbott for Texas Governor. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman)Hinojosa has also tried to frame her candidacy as the best-positioned Democratic challenge to the incumbent Abbott — and she’s backed that up with a mix of endorsements and fundraising claims.Chris BellChris Bell is a former congressman, Houston City Council member and Democratic nominee for governor. He‘s using that experience as a selling point in his campaign for U.S. Senate. [RICARDO B. BRAZZIELL/AMERICAN-STATESMAN] (Austin American-Statesman)Chris Bell served on the Houston City Council before winning a term in Congress from 2003–2005, then later became the Democratic nominee for governor in 2006.This cycle, Bell is running on a familiar anti-corruption lane; he’s framed Abbott-era politics as pay-to-play and has centered his case on “cleaning up” state government while boosting public education and tackling rising costs.His campaign biography leans hard into his “watchdog” origin story — a University of Texas journalism alumnus who worked in broadcast news before becoming an attorney — and he positions that background as the reason he’s comfortable going after entrenched power.Bobby ColeBobby Cole is a retired firefighter, cattleman and poultry producer — an East Texas-rooted candidate making a working-class pitch in a primary dominated by better-known political names.He is running with an emphasis on property taxes and public education, aiming to connect with rural and small-town voters who feel priced out or overlooked.His issues page lists populist reforms like raising the minimum wage, strengthening workers’ ability to organize, and legalizing marijuana.Other Democratic candidates:Here is a list of the remaining candidates:Patricia AbregoCarlton HartJose Navarro BalbuenaZach VanceAngela VillescazAndrew White (ended his campaign in early January, but will appear on the March ballot)Who’s running against Greg Abbott in 2026? The Republican primary candidatesPresident Donald Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott hold hands during a round table event at the Hill Country Youth Event Center to discuss flash flooding on July 11, 2025 in Kerrville. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)While Abbott remains sternly in the lead, here are a list of candidate running against him in the primaries:R.F. AchgillEvelyn BrooksPete ChambersCharles CrouchArturo EspinosaMark GolobyKenneth HydeStephen SamuelsonRonnie TullosNathaniel Welch