Texas elections in 2026
40 electoral votes · 38 House seats · South · 2 statewide races on the 2026 ballot
The political landscape
Texas is the largest Republican-led state, with booming and diversifying metros set against a vast conservative rural base. Energy, the border and the grid define its statewide races, which have tightened without yet flipping.
Its largest population centers include Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso. Where a state's people live, and what those places do for a living, is the starting point for how Electorate HQ simulations reason about it.
On the ballot in Texas
Issues that weigh heavily in Texas
Based on the state's industry mix, geography and cost of living, these issues tend to carry structural weight in Texas elections:
Latest Texas political headlines
FILE -- The economy and the 2026 electionGov. Greg Abbott touts tech company cooperation, following Trump criticism of data center policyTexas’ mail ballot ID requirements restored by federal appeals courtDead heat in Texas governor race for Abbott, Hinojosa poll showsDemocrats gain momentum in pivotal US Senate and governor’s races in TexasThe Man LBJ Thought Would Be President Is Still Haunted By One Unanswered QuestionGovernor Abbott Holds Inaugural Texas Classroom Commission Meeting At Governor’s MansionCalifornia’s economy isn’t just bigger than Texas and Florida — it’s growing faster, tooSimulate Texas
In the Electorate HQ simulator, Texas is one of 51 delegations that reads current reporting and decides a presidential race issue by issue. Results are AI simulations, clearly labeled, with the reasoning shown for every call. See the methodology for what that does and does not mean.