The 2026 Texas gubernatorial election is scheduled to take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Texas. Incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott is running for re-election to an unprecedented fourth term.[1] If Abbott were to be successful and finish out a fourth full term, he would become the state's longest-serving Governor with 16 years on January 21, 2031, surpassing the 14 years of his predecessor, former Governor Rick Perry. He would also tie with former South Dakota Governor Bill Janklow as the fifth longest-serving governor in United States history at 5,845 days served.
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Republican primary
editCandidates
editDeclared
edit- Greg Abbott, incumbent governor[1]
Potential
edit- Eric Johnson, mayor of Dallas and former state representative from the 100th district[2]
- Dan Patrick, Lieutenant Governor of Texas[3]
- Dave Clark, former CEO of Flexport[4]
Independents
editCandidates
editPotential
edit- Matthew McConaughey, Academy Award-winning actor[5]
References
edit- ^ a b Watkins, Matthew (March 1, 2024). "Donald Trump says Greg Abbott is 'absolutely' on vice president short list". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ Jeffers Jr., Gromers (September 22, 2023). "How Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson's switch to GOP could impact his political career". The Dallas Morning News.
- ^ Jeffers Jr., Gromer (August 3, 2023). "Will Patrick challenge Abbott in 2026?". Waco Tribune-Herald.
- ^ Young, Liz; Mattioli, Dana (September 6, 2023). "Dave Clark Resigns as Flexport CEO". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ Schoenbaum, Hannah; Gruver, Mead (July 12, 2024). "Actor Matthew McConaughey tells governors he is still mulling future run for political office". Associated Press. Retrieved July 12, 2024.