Early voting has officially wrapped up across Texas, leaving voters just days away from heading to the polls on Election Day this upcoming Tuesday, Nov. 3, CBS News Texas reported.
The U.S. Senate Showdown
At the top of the statewide ballot, Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Representative James Talarico are locked in an expensive battle for the U.S. Senate seat. More than a quarter-billion dollars has poured into advertising for this race alone. Democrats hope to seize on a scandal-plagued Republican candidate and an unpopular Republican president in their bid to capture the seat for the first time since 1961.
Recent polls show Talarico narrowly leading Paxton, who defeated incumbent John Cornyn in the Republican primary. Control of the United States Senate in January hangs in the balance, with Democrats needing a net gain of four seats to secure the majority.
Governor Greg Abbott Faces Toughest Reelection Test
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is running for a fourth term, facing his most competitive general election yet against Democratic state Representative Gina Hinojosa. Abbott has won all seven of his previous statewide elections, with his closest margin being an 10.9-percentage-point victory in the 2022 gubernatorial race.
While Abbott entered the cycle as a clear favorite, the Texas Politics Project’s October poll showed Hinojosa with a one-point lead. Electoral analysts independent of political parties at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics and the Cook Political Report have downgraded their assessment of the matchup from Solid/Safe Republican to Lean Republican. A Democrat has not won the governor’s office in Texas since Ann Richards won reelection in 1990.
Dan Patrick Faces Stiff Challenge from Vikki Goodwin
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick is likewise facing a stiff challenge in his bid for a fourth term, squaring off against Democratic state Representative Vikki Goodwin. While early polling gave Patrick a narrow lead, the October Texas Politics Project poll showed Goodwin ahead by three points. Patrick has long wielded significant power as president of the state Senate, using his position to steer legislation sharply to the right. An upset by Goodwin could fundamentally alter the legislative dynamics in Austin and push the state Senate toward the political middle.
Meanwhile, the open race to replace Paxton as attorney general pits Democratic state Nathan Johnson against Republican state Mayes Middleton. Middleton has pledged to continue Paxton’s aggressive defense of conservative culture war policies and back the national Republican agenda. Johnson has campaigned on pivoting the office away from those legal battles and returning its primary focus to law enforcement.
Don Huffines Runs for Full Comptroller Term
In the race for Texas Comptroller, appointed incumbent Don Huffines is running for a full four-year term after being appointed by Governor Abbott in August. Huffines has emphasized rooting out waste and vowed to “DOGE Texas,” referencing the federal Department of Government Efficiency. His Democratic opponent, state Sarah Eckhardt, has made opposition to taxpayer-funded private school vouchers the centerpiece of her campaign.
Down-ballot races have also drawn national scrutiny, notably the contest for the Texas Railroad Commission between Republican Bo French and Democrat Jon Rosenthal. French drew heavy backlash following a controversial social media post regarding University of Texas students, prompting prominent Republican strategist Karl Rove to back Rosenthal—marking his first vote for a Democrat in thirty years.
In the Texas Legislature, competitive seats in suburban Dallas County and South Texas will test the durability of the political coalitions that shaped recent election cycles. State Senate District 9 features a rematch of a January 31 special election where Democratic state Taylor Rehmet defeated Leigh Wambsganss, capturing a seat that had not voted blue since 1992.
