Early voting begins Oct. 19

Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election begins Monday, Oct. 19, and ends on Friday, Oct. 30. A convenient place to find out where to vote and what is on the ballot where you live is the Texas Secretary of State’s website: votetexas.gov. You can also verify that you are registered to vote on that site.

The top two statewide races garnering attention are the U.S. Senate race, pitting the Republican nominee, Attorney General Ken Paxton, against the Democratic nominee, state Rep. James Talarico. Most polls show Talarico in the lead, according to The Texas Tribune. A Democrat hasn’t won a statewide race since 1994, when several Democrats won. However, that year, Republican nominee George W. Bush beat incumbent Democrat Ann Richards in the governor’s race, beginning a long drought for that party.

Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican seeking his fourth term, faces a strong challenge from state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin. That race remains tight, with the Real Clear Politics polling average showing Abbott with a slight lead, well within the margin of error.

There are several other statewide races on the ballot, as well as contested races for the U.S. House, Texas House and Senate, municipal posts and referendums, again depending on where one votes.

Abbott ramps up attacks on Hinojosa

Abbott’s bid to become the longest-serving Texas governor in history is running into an unexpectedly tight race for a candidate who has won his last three races for governor by double digits. He told supporters that “polls don’t win elections, and polls are often wrong.”

His campaign recently announced a $12 million ad buy targeting Hinojosa, according to the Texas Standard. One ad claims that, as a state representative, Hinojosa voted more than 40 times for higher property taxes in the state, a claim she vigorously disputes.

“I have never, not once, voted to increase property taxes, and anyone who says otherwise is lying,” Hinojosa said.

Abbott maintains that he will prevail.

“What I’m confident about is exactly where my campaign stands and the outcome — that I’m going to win this race,” Abbott said.

Meanwhile, Abbott out-raised Hinojosa in the last reporting cycle, $20 million to $13 million. She raised her money from about 136,000 donors, more than 10 times the number who contributed to Abbott’s campaign, which had more large donations, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Abbott has burned through far more campaign cash, spending nearly $70 million since July 1, compared with Hinojosa’s $12 million. Abbott still has a comfortable bank balance of $17 million, compared with $4 million for Hinojosa.

Few debates set so far in statewide races

No debates have been scheduled to date in the governor’s race, although Hinojosa has repeatedly called for a debate against Abbott. The same is true of the U.S. Senate race, where Paxton’s campaign has promised to debate Talarico but has not agreed to any proposed dates, The Texas Tribune reported.

The only debate among statewide candidates apparently scheduled so far is between Democrat Jon Rosenthal and Republican Bo French for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission. Rosenthal announced that he and French have agreed to a debate on Oct. 22, but French has not publicly confirmed.

State Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, and state Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, the Democratic nominees for lieutenant governor and attorney general, have also urged their GOP opponents to debate. Spokespeople for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and state Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, did not respond to requests for comment.

In the past three gubernatorial elections, Abbott debated his Democratic opponent each time.

Judge halts Big Bend area border wall

A U.S. district judge in El Paso has halted all construction on the border wall project in the Big Bend border area, the Standard reported. A coalition of opponents is suing the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection over plans to build a border wall through the rugged area, which includes Big Bend National Park.

The pause in construction is in effect until the case goes to trial.

“The Court finds that Plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of at least one of the claims in suit, that there is a likelihood that they will suffer serious, irreparable harm without an injunction, and that the balance of the equities and the public interest weigh in their favor,” the order, from U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone, states.

Opponents claim that, besides the environmental damage caused by building a wall and roads in the area, the Big Bend Sector has the least traffic across the border because of its extremely rugged terrain.

A CBP spokesperson said the agency is working with the Department of Justice on next steps.

“We stand by our assessment and remain confident in our legal authorities to secure the border while preserving the unique landscape of the Big Bend region,” the spokesperson said.

Texas accounts for most of library book bans

Texas banned more school library books during the 2025-2026 school year than any other state, accounting for 8,000 — or two-thirds — of the 12,000 book bans documented by Pen America, a literature and free-speech advocacy group, the Austin American-Statesman reported. Florida ranked second with just more than 3,200 banned books.

PEN America, a nonprofit, attributed the high number of book bans in the state to legislation that expands the role of parents and school boards in overseeing what books students can access in public school libraries.

Leading the list of most frequently banned books included “Sold” by Patricia McCormick, “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson, “Crank” and “Identical” by Ellen Hopkins, “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood, and “Looking for Alaska” by John Green.

DSHS recommends getting flu shot soon

The Texas Department of Health and Human Services is advising Texans to get immunized against the flu as soon as possible as flu season gets underway.

“We recommend everyone ages six months and older get a flu shot as soon as possible because we usually see cases start to rise at this time of year,” said DSHS Chief Medical Executive Manda Hall. “Small children and older adults, pregnant women and people with chronic health conditions often suffer the most severe effects from flu illness. 

People with flu are most contagious in the first few days of their illness. DSH advises those with flu symptoms to stay home and avoid contact with other people.

To find out where to get a flu shot, go to Vaccines.gov or contact your local pharmacy or health care provider.

Gary Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published a number of community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@texaspress.com.