Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick handily won their primaries Tuesday, both decisively beating several lesser-known Republican challengers to continue their reelection bids.
Abbott and Patrick are both seeking their fourth four-year terms in their respective offices. Both remain formidable general election opponents, with plenty of campaign cash and broad support from the Republican base in hand. In 2022, Abbott beat former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke by over 10 percentage points, and Patrick also won reelection with a 10-point edge.
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On the Democratic side, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa of Austin was leading among several candidates in the gubernatorial primary as votes were being counted, while state Rep. Vikki Goodwin of Austin was ahead of union leader Marcos Velez in the primary for lieutenant governor.
In his reelection bid, Abbott has promised to further rein in property taxes and touted the conservative victories of his decade in office, framing his candidacy as a bulwark of “common sense in a country reeling from far-left, progressive insanity.” He has also vowed to spend big to flip Harris County, a Democratic stronghold.
Patrick is a leading conservative voice in Texas closely aligned with President Donald Trump. He has used his powerful perch atop the Texas Senate to infuse Christianity in public life, restrict abortion and immigration practices in the state, pursue sometimes contentious goals among Republicans like banning THC and bolstering the state’s film incentives program, and more.
Democrats have struggled to mount competitive statewide bids in recent years. But they’re are hoping that the U.S. Senate race — the highest-profile competition at the top of the ticket — will create a down-ballot boost for their side, including in the gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial contests. Hinojosa campaigned alongside both Democratic Senate candidates, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas and state Rep. James Talarico of Austin, in the months leading up to Election Day, calling herself “Team Jasarico” as she worked to build support out of both of their camps.
More broadly, Democrats see a chance to make inroads in Texas this election cycle, hoping that dissatisfaction with the Trump administration will drive turnout, in addition to a $30 million effort by the biggest Democratic groups in the state to coordinate campaign efforts and build longer-term infrastructure toward a blue Texas.
Hinojosa, a former school board president, made her focus on education issues in the Texas House, and opposing Abbott’s private school voucher program, the headline of her campaign. She also cast Abbott as beholden to his big-money donors at the expense of Texans.
Goodwin is running on public school funding, clean water and energy access, affordable housing and health care, with a focus on “returning sanity to Texas government and restoring a collaborative and cooperative spirit.”