Governor of Texas · November 3, 2026
Who should I vote for in the Texas governor's race?
Gina Hinojosa has the strongest record in the Texas governor's race. Gina Hinojosa scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Greg Abbott at 60, as of October 5, 2026. Gina Hinojosa's highest marks are relevant experience and accountability. Greg Abbott's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Pat Dixon (7 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican · incumbent
Greg Abbott
On the ballot as GREG ABBOTT
60 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 45
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 58
Libertarian
Pat Dixon
On the ballot as PAT DIXON
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 7 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 60
- Performance
- NR
Democratic
Strongest record
Gina Hinojosa
On the ballot as GINA HINOJOSA
68 / 100
Public evidence on 11 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 56
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 75
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Greg Abbott
- Mark against2026-09
In September 2026 his campaign posted an image of Gina Hinojosa in which the U.S. flag on a table had been digitally replaced with a transgender pride flag, per AFP and the Texas Newsroom.
Sources: AFP Fact Check, as published by Yahoo News UK, Sept. 10, 2026, Texas Newsroom, as published by Houston Public Media, Oct. 2, 2026
- Mark against2021-02-16
During the February 2021 winter storm said lost wind and solar power left Texas short statewide; PolitiFact rated it False and the Texas Tribune reported fossil fuel losses were the main cause.
Sources: PolitiFact, Greg Abbott statements rated False, Texas Tribune, Feb. 17, 2021
- On the record2026-09
Had not accepted any of four proposed 2026 general election debates as of Sept. 29, 2026, saying he answers voters' questions directly at campaign stops.
Sources: El Paso Times (USA Today Network), Sept. 29, 2026, CBS News Texas, Sept. 27, 2026
- On the record2025-08 to 2026-05-15
Petitioned the Texas Supreme Court in August 2025 to remove House Democratic leader Gene Wu from office over the quorum break; the court rejected the request on May 15, 2026.
Source: Texas Tribune, May 15, 2026
- On the record2024-05-16
Pardoned Daniel Perry on May 16, 2024, after the Board of Pardons and Paroles recommended a full pardon; a Travis County jury had convicted Perry of murdering a protester in Austin.
Source: Texas Tribune, May 16, 2024
- On the record2021-08-09
Vetoed the Legislature's funding in June 2021 after House Democrats broke quorum; the Texas Supreme Court denied Democrats' challenge to the veto on Aug. 9, 2021.
Source: Texas Tribune, Aug. 9, 2021
- On the record2016-12 to 2021-09
PolitiFact rated 12 of his statements False and one Pants on Fire from December 2016 to September 2021, out of 81 statements it has checked since 2010.
Sources: PolitiFact, Greg Abbott scorecard, PolitiFact, Greg Abbott statements rated False, PolitiFact, Greg Abbott statements rated Pants on Fire
- Credit2025-06-22
Vetoed Senate Bill 3, a ban on consumable THC products and a top priority of Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, on June 22, 2025; Patrick publicly rebuked the veto.
Sources: Texas Tribune, June 22, 2025, Texas Tribune, June 23, 2025
- Credit2023-07-24
Signed an $18 billion property tax cut package in July 2023, which put $12.6 billion of the state surplus toward school tax cuts, subject to voter approval.
Source: Texas Tribune, July 24, 2023
- Credit2019-06-11
Signed House Bill 3 on June 11, 2019, an $11.6 billion school finance overhaul with about $6.5 billion in new public education spending and $5.1 billion for property tax relief.
Sources: Texas Tribune, as published by Houston Public Media, June 11, 2019, Texas Legislature Online, HB 3 (86R) history
Pat Dixon
- On the record2026
Libertarian nominee for governor; previously served two terms on the Lago Vista city council and 10 years as chair of the Libertarian Party of Texas.
Sources: Texas Tribune, Sept. 25, 2026, Ballotpedia, Pat Dixon
Gina Hinojosa
- On the record2021 and 2025
Helped organize the May 2021 Democratic walkout that broke quorum on election bill SB 7, and joined the August 2025 quorum break over mid-decade congressional redistricting.
Sources: The 19th, June 28, 2021, Texas Tribune, June 15, 2021, El Paso Times (USA Today Network), Sept. 7, 2026
- Credit2026-09
Accepted all four proposed 2026 general election debate invitations and held town halls with voter questions in El Paso and Nacogdoches.
Sources: El Paso Times (USA Today Network), Sept. 29, 2026, KTBS, Oct. 1, 2026
- Credit2021-06-15
Authored HB 4293, creating a court reminder program for criminal defendants, with Republican joint authors Krause and Leach; effective Sept. 1, 2021.
Sources: Texas Legislature Online, HB 4293 (87R) history, Center for Effective Lawmaking, State Legislative Effectiveness Scores data file
- Credit2019-06-14
Authored HB 1307, creating a disaster case management system in the Texas Division of Emergency Management, with Republican joint authors; signed and effective Sept. 1, 2019.
- Credit2017 to 2024
Rated Meets expectations on the Center for Effective Lawmaking's State Legislative Effectiveness Score in each term from 2017 to 2024, with eight authored bills becoming law.
Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking, State Legislative Effectiveness Scores data file
- Credit2012 to 2016
Elected to the Austin ISD board of trustees in 2012 and later served as board president, before winning election to the Texas House in 2016.
Sources: Texas Tribune, Oct. 15, 2025, Texas Tribune, Sept. 25, 2026
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Greg Abbott. No Texas Ethics Commission sworn complaint order names him. Two false or deceptive public statements are documented by two established outlets each (see the record); E15 lowers Integrity at three.
Sources: PolitiFact, Greg Abbott scorecard, PolitiFact, Greg Abbott statements rated False, PolitiFact, Greg Abbott statements rated Pants on Fire, Texas Ethics Commission, sworn complaint orders search
Pat Dixon. No Texas Ethics Commission sworn complaint order names him and he is not on the delinquent filer list. No PolitiFact file exists for him.
Source: Texas Ethics Commission, sworn complaint orders search
Gina Hinojosa. PolitiFact rates three of her statements, two Mostly True and one Half True, none false. No Texas Ethics Commission sworn complaint order names her and she is not on the delinquent filer list.
Sources: PolitiFact, Gina Hinojosa scorecard, Texas Ethics Commission, sworn complaint orders search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Greg Abbott. On June 22, 2025 vetoed Senate Bill 3, the THC ban that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a fellow Republican, called his top priority; the Texas Tribune called it a rare break between the two.
Sources: Texas Tribune, June 22, 2025, Texas Tribune, June 23, 2025
Pat Dixon. No public record found.
Gina Hinojosa. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Greg Abbott. Had not accepted any of four proposed 2026 general election debates as of Sept. 29, 2026, per the El Paso Times; told CBS News Texas he takes voter questions at campaign stops instead.
Sources: El Paso Times (USA Today Network), Sept. 29, 2026, CBS News Texas, Sept. 27, 2026
Pat Dixon. No public record found.
Gina Hinojosa. Accepted every proposed 2026 general election debate per the El Paso Times. Held open town halls with voter questions, including El Paso on Aug. 31 and Stephen F. Austin State University on Sept. 30, 2026.
Sources: El Paso Times (USA Today Network), Sept. 29, 2026, KTBS, Oct. 1, 2026, El Paso Times, as published by Yahoo News, Sept. 1, 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Greg Abbott. District judge, Texas Supreme Court justice, attorney general and governor since 1993 with no formal censure, reprimand or conduct finding found. A doctored campaign image in 2026 is in the Record.
Source: Ballotpedia, Greg Abbott
Pat Dixon. No public record found.
Gina Hinojosa. Austin ISD trustee and board president, then Texas House member since 2017, with no formal censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Gina Hinojosa, Texas Tribune, Oct. 15, 2025
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Greg Abbott. Governor since Jan. 20, 2015; no misuse-of-office finding and no action to reject certified results. Texas Supreme Court upheld his 2021 legislative funding veto and in May 2026 rejected his bid to remove Rep. Gene Wu.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Greg Abbott, Texas Tribune, Aug. 9, 2021, Texas Tribune, May 15, 2026
Pat Dixon. Served two terms on the Lago Vista city council with no official finding of misuse of office found.
Source: Texas Tribune, Sept. 25, 2026
Gina Hinojosa. Sworn member of the Texas House since 2017 with no official finding of misuse of office and no action to reject certified results. Joined the 2021 and 2025 Democratic quorum breaks (see Record).
Sources: Ballotpedia, Gina Hinojosa, Texas Tribune, June 15, 2021
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Greg Abbott. Governor of Texas since 2015, three terms. Attorney general 2002 to 2015, Texas Supreme Court justice 1996 to 2001, Harris County district judge 1993 to 1995.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Greg Abbott, Texas Tribune, Sept. 25, 2026
Pat Dixon. Two terms on the Lago Vista city council; owner of Dixon Process Automation Services; 10 years as chair of the Libertarian Party of Texas.
Source: Texas Tribune, Sept. 25, 2026
Gina Hinojosa. Texas House member for District 49 since 2017, five terms. Earlier elected to the Austin ISD board in 2012 and served as its president.
Sources: El Paso Times (USA Today Network), Sept. 7, 2026, Texas Tribune, Oct. 15, 2025
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Greg Abbott. Sitting governor in his third term. Campaign platform proposes abolishing school property taxes for homeowners, a two-thirds voter approval rule for tax increases and a 3% appraisal cap.
Sources: Texas Tribune, Dec. 9, 2025, Texas Tribune, Sept. 25, 2026
Pat Dixon. Publishes positions in general terms on data centers, property tax, redistricting and other issues, and states the limits of the governor's pardon power.
Source: Ballotpedia, Pat Dixon, 2026 Candidate Connection survey
Gina Hinojosa. Campaign publishes specific plans, including a $1,500 household refund from the Rainy Day Fund through legislation and a Public Utility Commission rate freeze. Serves on the House Public Education and Land and Resource Management committees.
Sources: Gina Hinojosa for Texas Governor, Money in Your Pocket, Texas Legislature Online, Rep. Gina Hinojosa
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Greg Abbott. Two channels documented: campaign issue pages and voter questions at campaign stops. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey and has not accepted a 2026 debate.
Sources: Texans for Greg Abbott, Issues, CBS News Texas, Sept. 27, 2026, Ballotpedia, Greg Abbott
Pat Dixon. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey and publishes policy statements on his campaign site.
Gina Hinojosa. Three channels documented: town halls, campaign issue pages and debate invitations accepted. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
Sources: KTBS, Oct. 1, 2026, Gina Hinojosa for Texas Governor, Money in Your Pocket, Ballotpedia, Gina Hinojosa
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Greg Abbott. Born in Wichita Falls and raised in Duncanville, Texas. In-state share of contributions not available from the sources opened.
Sources: Office of the Texas Governor, biography, Ballotpedia, Greg Abbott
Pat Dixon. Lago Vista business owner and former two-term Lago Vista city council member. In-state share of contributions not available.
Source: Texas Tribune, Sept. 25, 2026
Gina Hinojosa. Born in McAllen and raised in Brownsville, Texas, where she attended public schools; Austin resident and officeholder since 2012. In-state share of contributions not available from the sources opened.
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Greg Abbott. Has headed the Texas executive branch since 2015, appointing the leaders of major state agencies and every public university regent. Not on the Texas Ethics Commission delinquent filer list; no sworn complaint order names him.
Source: Texas Tribune, Sept. 25, 2026
Pat Dixon. Owner and operator of Dixon Process Automation Services Inc. in Lago Vista and 10 years as chair of the Libertarian Party of Texas. Not on the TEC delinquent filer list.
Source: Texas Tribune, Sept. 25, 2026
Gina Hinojosa. Served as president of the Austin ISD board. Not on the Texas Ethics Commission delinquent filer list and no sworn complaint order names her.
Source: Texas Tribune, Sept. 25, 2026
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Greg Abbott. Signed the $11.6 billion school finance law HB 3 (2019) and an $18 billion property tax cut (2023); the education savings account program he signed in 2025 enrolled more than 100,000 families in its first year.
Sources: Texas Tribune, as published by Houston Public Media, June 11, 2019, Texas Tribune, July 24, 2023, Texas Tribune, Aug. 3, 2026
Pat Dixon. No public record found.
Gina Hinojosa. State Legislative Effectiveness Score Meets expectations in all four scored terms, 2017 to 2024. Eight bills she authored became law, including HB 1307 (2019, disaster case management) and HB 4293 (2021, court reminder program).
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking, State Legislative Effectiveness Scores data file, Texas Legislature Online, HB 1307 (86R) history, Texas Legislature Online, HB 4293 (87R) history
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Greg Abbott. No public record found.
Pat Dixon. No public record found.
Gina Hinojosa. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Greg Abbott. The Office of the Governor offers constituent assistance through an online request form and a statewide information and referral hotline. No published casework totals found.
Pat Dixon. No public record found.
Gina Hinojosa. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Greg Abbott. Signed HB 3 (2019), the school finance overhaul whose joint authors were Republicans Huberty, Zerwas and Ken King and Democrats Bernal and Allen. No cross-party endorsement found.
Sources: Texas Legislature Online, HB 3 (86R) history, Center for Effective Lawmaking, State Legislative Effectiveness Scores data file
Pat Dixon. No public record found.
Gina Hinojosa. Several authored bills enacted with Republican partners, including HB 1307 (2019) with Reps. Huberty and Phelan and Sen. Huffman, and HB 4293 (2021) with Reps. Krause and Leach.
Sources: Texas Legislature Online, HB 1307 (86R) history, Texas Legislature Online, HB 4293 (87R) history, Center for Effective Lawmaking, State Legislative Effectiveness Scores data file
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Greg Abbott. No public record found.
Pat Dixon. No public record found.
Gina Hinojosa. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 5, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in the Texas governor's race?
Gina Hinojosa has the strongest record in the Texas governor's race. Gina Hinojosa scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Greg Abbott at 60, as of October 5, 2026. Gina Hinojosa's highest marks are relevant experience and accountability. Greg Abbott's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Pat Dixon (7 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in the Texas governor's race in 2026?
GREG ABBOTT (Republican, incumbent), PAT DIXON (Libertarian), GINA HINOJOSA (Democratic). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Greg Abbott a good candidate for Governor?
Greg Abbott scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 45 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 58 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Pat Dixon a good candidate for Governor?
Pat Dixon has public evidence on 7 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Gina Hinojosa a good candidate for Governor?
Gina Hinojosa scores 68 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 11 of 15 criteria: character 56 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 75 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Texas race scored, and the Texas 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.