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By Mandy Taheri
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Republican Governor Greg Abbott is leading Democratic state Representative Gina Hinojosa in Texas' gubernatorial race, according to a recent poll.
Newsweek contacted Abbott's campaign press team for comment via email on Thursday.
Why It Matters
Abbott, a strong conservative and staunch ally of President Donald Trump, was first elected to the state's top office in 2014 and was reelected in 2018 and 2022. If Abbott wins, he will become the state's longest-serving governor by the end of his fourth term. Hinojosa, a lawyer who was sworn into the Texas House of Representatives in 2017, is among the Democratic hopefuls working to win a statewide election in the Lone Star State. Texas has not elected a Democrat to a statewide office in over 30 years.
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What To Know
An Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media survey conducted between January 10 and 12 found Abbott leading the gubernatorial race.
Among the 1,165 registered Texas voters, Abbott held an eight-point lead over Hinojosa, 50 percent to 42 percent. About 8 percent of voters were undecided.
Of those voters, Hinojosa had the backing of 4.4 percent of Republicans, while Abbott had the support of 4.6 percent of Democrats. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.
The economy topped voter concerns at 28 percent, followed by threats to democracy (17 percent) and immigration (14 percent). Abbott held a 47 percent approval rating in Texas, while Trump edged ahead with a 48 percent approval rating in the state.
An overwhelming percentage of voters, 83 percent, said they were likely to vote in November's elections. In addition to the gubernatorial election, Republican Senator John Cornyn is up for reelection, a seat that Democratic state Representative James Talarico and U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett are vying for.
The Cook Political Report rates Texas as a "solid" Republican seat in the 2026 election.
Last year, Abbott spearheaded the state's redistricting initiative, seeking to gain Republican congressional seats in the 2026 midterms.
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What People Are Saying
Tommy Kubitschek, a spokesperson for Texas Representative Gina Hinojosa's campaign, told Newsweek: "This is a real race—Texans are clearly sick of working more and more to get less and less, and they will deny Greg Abbott an unprecedented fourth term, with independents starting to line up behind Gina. After more than a decade of Abbott putting the interests of billionaire donors and corporations ahead of working families, it's not surprising that Texans are ready for change."
Hinojosa wrote on X on January 15: "To kick off the new year, we went to 9 cities in 7 days—and I'm so grateful that so many folks are standing behind me in this run for governor. From the Valley and the Coastal Bend to Harris County—Texans are fired up and ready to win."
Texas Right to Life, an anti-abortion organization, wrote on X on January 13: "Governor Greg Abbott has signed Texas' strongest Pro-Life laws over the last few years—because he believes every child deserves a chance at life. That's why we're proud to endorse Gov. Abbott for re-election this March!"
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a November speech launching his campaign: "Texas isn't just another state. We're your home, your heritage. Texas is the heartbeat of this land we call America. As Texans, we will defend this state with every fiber of our being. We will protect what we built. We will finish what we started. We will lead Texas into its glorious future. ...
"Tonight, we have a message for Democrats and their socialist backers: This is Texas. They cannot buy us. They cannot beat us. We will see them at the ballot box, and we will win. We will defend our culture. We will safeguard our Texas values from the radicals who are trying to shove Texas to the far progressive left."
What Happens Next
Party primaries are scheduled for March 3, with the general election taking place on November 3.
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