WH: The Texan Explains: State positions on ballot
Early voting for the midterm election began Monday, and voters will see much more than the U.S. senator seat when they approach the booth. The Texan has compiled information on the top candidates for major state offices.
Governor
The governor signs or vetoes bills, appoints state officials, recommends the state budget, calls special sessions and serves as commander-in-chief of state military forces. The governor appoints members of the UT System Board of Regents, which hires the UT president.
Incumbent Republican candidate Gov. Greg Abbott has held the position since 2015. His policy priorities include overhauling the property tax system, public safety and higher education.
Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa, UT’s current representative in the Texas House, is prioritizing public school reform, including combating school takeovers and vouchers, and lowering healthcare and living expenses.
Lieutenant Governor
The lieutenant governor acts as the president of the state Senate. The position connects the executive and legislative branches, and the Lieutenant Governor would assume the position if the governor stepped down or died in office.
Republican candidate incumbent Dan Patrick was first elected in 2014 and has been endorsed by President Donald Trump. His campaign prioritizes economic growth, border security, Second Amendment protections, a stronger power grid and support for law enforcement.
Democratic nominee state Rep. Vicki Goodwin, D-Austin, said her top concerns focus on public education, clean water and energy access, affordable housing and comprehensive healthcare.
Attorney General
The attorney general is the state’s chief legal officer and represents Texas in litigation. The Office of the Attorney General also legally advises state government offices, including the University.
Republican candidate state Sen. Mayes Middleton is campaigning on a conservative, pro-Trump platform. His priorities include border security, for which he says he will sue to stop sanctuary cities from denying Immigration and Customs Enforcement requests; upholding pro-life laws; cracking down on crime and low bond releases; and eliminating government waste.
State Sen. Nathan Johnson, the Democratic candidate, prioritizes stopping MAGA influence on the attorney general’s office, affordability, rooting out corruption, public safety and voter security.
Comptroller
The comptroller is Texas’ chief financial officer. The office acts as a purchasing manager and tax collector, and also charts the state’s economy.
State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, is running as the Democratic candidate and is campaigning on priorities that include protecting public schools from closures, auditing school vouchers and stopping no-bid contracts. Eckhardt represents UT in the Texas Senate.
Incumbent Comptroller Don Huffines is running as the Republican candidate and has the endorsement of President Trump. Huffines was appointed by Abbott and was sworn in this August.
His priorities include exposing government corruption, eliminating waste, “running government like a business,” modernizing infrastructure and preventing tax dollars from going to undocumented immigrants, “Islamic terrorists” and “woke ideology.”
Railroad Commissioner
The railroad commissioner regulates the oil and natural gas industry.
Republican candidate Bo French, a MAGA conservative, spent a decade as an energy trader and served as chairman of the Tarrant County Republican Party. French recently received backlash for comments made about a picture of UT students at a football game, where he criticized the number of South Asian students shown, saying, “the problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined.”
Democratic candidate state Rep. Jon Rosenthal, D-Houston, is prioritizing affordable gas utility rates, data center guardrails, property rights and public safety, clean air and water, and increasing railroad commission resources.
