Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Sunday that he will seek a record-setting fourth term as governor.
“Texas is not just another state — it’s our home. Our heritage,” Abbott said during a speech in Houston, according to KCBD.
“As Texans, we will defend this state with every fiber of our being. We will protect what we built, finish what we started and lead Texas into its glorious future,” he added.
If Abbott wins re-election and serves another full term, he will become the longest-serving governor in Texas history.
Governor Greg Abbott says he will run for re-election in 2026, aiming to continue his tenure as Texas’ longest-serving governor.#GregAbbott #TexasPolitics #Election2026 pic.twitter.com/q4HGD98ibV
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) November 10, 2025
KCBD shared more:
Both reflecting on his decade as governor and previewing his priorities for a fourth term, Abbott touted a series of conservative achievements in affordability, education, border security and more.
A week after Texas voters approved several constitutional amendments to reduce property taxes, Abbott vowed to go further to rein in local taxing power through a slate of five policy proposals he unveiled Sunday.
“Local governments are hiking your property taxes incessantly,” he said. “It’s time to drive a stake through the heart of local property tax hikes for good.”
He said voters should be allowed to vote on abolishing school property taxes and that any property tax increases should require two-thirds approval from voters. He added that Texans should have “the right to rollback property tax rates”; appraisals should take place only once every five years; and that the appraisal cap — the amount the appraised value of a property can increase by year over year — should be dropped from 10% to 3%.
Abbott also promoted the passage of private school vouchers, public school funding and measures abolishing diversity and inclusion practices in schools and barring trans athletes from participating in women’s sports — arguing that these efforts were putting Texas on the path to become the top state for education.
And he listed off stricter bail practices, the state’s border and immigration crackdown and various investments and regulation cuts in health care and housing as other banner achievements of his tenure.
“Since I’ve been governor, Texas has been ranked number one in America for new jobs, number one in America for doing business every year I’ve been governor,” Abbott said, according to FOX 7 Austin.
“We are going to turn the tables on local taxing authorities and put power back with the people and put out of control property taxes finished in the state of Texas,” he added.
According to FOX 7 Austin, Republicans Pete Chambers and Mark Goloby have declared their intent to run for governor.
Bobby Cole, Andrew White, Ben Flores, Nick Pappas and Texas State Rep. Gina Hinojosa have announced their candidacies on the Democratic side, the outlet noted.
Watch footage from Abbott’s announcement:
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) November 10, 2025
FOX 7 Austin provided further details:
Abbott wasn’t the only governor who took to the podium over the weekend in Houston.
On the heels of Proposition 50 passing, California Governor Gavin Newson rallied with Texas Democrats on Saturday.
As next year’s midterm elections approach, Newsom pushed for more party support.
ADVERTISEMENT“There is no more important race in our lifetime than the House of Representatives and taking back the House,” said Newsom.
Before leaving the stage, Governor Abbott left Democrats with a clear message.
“They cannot buy us, they cannot beat us, we will see them at the ballot box, and we will win,” Abbott said.
Watch Abbott’s speech below:
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