(The Center Square) – Twenty-four candidates have filed to run for governor of Texas, including Gov. Greg Abbott, who is seeking his fourth term.
They include one Independent, 12 Democrats and 11 Republicans. Several are no longer running.
Abbott, who is the longest-serving governor of Texas, has amassed a war chest of more than $100 million. He has the most endorsements of any gubernatorial candidate, is expected to win the Republican primary and win reelection in November.
His 10 Republican challengers are largely unknown and have little funding. Nearly all have never been elected to office.
They include R.F. Achgill, Evelyn Brooks, Pete Chambers, Charles Crouch, Arturo Espinosa, Mark Goloby, Kenneth Hyde, Stephen Samuelson, Ronnie Tullos and Nathaniel Welch.
Brooks has served on the Texas State Board of Education since 2023 and founded a homeschool program. Crouch, an ex-Navy SEAL, says his qualification is being a “godly leader” but he cites no leadership or work experience.
Lt. Col. Pete Chambers served in the Texas Army National Guard and U.S. Army and was a congressional whistleblower testifying about serious medical conditions U.S. service members experienced from mandatory COVID-19 shots. After 39 years of service, he was forced out of the Texas Army National Guard for insisting on providing informed consent about the shots, he told The Center Square in an exclusive interview in February 2022.
Ronnie Tullos is with the San Jacinto County Sheriff's Office. Other Republican candidates are members of professional associations.
Jenn Mack, who is running as an Independent, cites no experience or qualifications on her campaign website.
Those who filed as Democrats include Patricia Abrego, Chris Bell, Bobby Cole, Carlton Hart, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, Jose Navarro Balbuena, Zach Vance, Angela Villescaz, Andrew White, Faizan Syed, Meagan Tehseldar and Nick Pappas.
White dropped out two weeks ago, endorsing Hinojosa. Syed, Tehseldar and Pappas either withdrew or were disqualified, according to a Ballotpedia analysis. The analysis excludes White in its list of candidates who’ve withdrawn.
Hinajosa, an attorney, is considered the most serious Democratic candidate and is expected to win the Democratic primary. Born in the Rio Grande Valley, she later moved to Austin where she served as a school board member and successfully fought against state education cuts. She was first elected to the Texas House in 2016 and reelected in subsequent years. Last year, she was among several dozen House Democrats who absconded and halted House proceedings in protest of a congressional redistricting bill.
She is most known for her expressed support of public school education, including demanding pay increases for teachers and opposing school choice.
Last year, the Republican-led legislature passed an expansive education package with bipartisan support, which Abbott signed into law. They include HB2, which allocated a record $8.5 billion for public schools and $4 billion for teacher and staff raises; SB 2, Texas’ first school choice Education Savings Account program; HB 6, Texas’ first Teacher Bill of Rights; and SB 12, Texas’ first Parental Bill of Rights, The Center Square reported.
Hinajosa voted for HB 2, voted against SB 2, voted for HB 6 and voted against SB 12.
While nearly all of Texas’ governors, 39, have been Democrats, the last Democratic governor was Ann Richards (1991-1995).
There have only been four Republican governors in state history: Bill Clements, George W. Bush, Rick Perry and Abbott. Clements was the first Republican governor elected since Reconstruction in 1978.
Sam Houston was the only Texas governor ever elected as an Independent. He was also the only one ever elected as president and governor of Texas.
He was the first and third president of the Republic of Texas (1836-1838 and 1841-1844) and the seventh governor of Texas (1859-1861). He also served in the Texas House and was one of the first two Texans to serve in the U.S. Senate.
Houston is also the only person in U.S. history to have served as governor of two states: Tennessee and Texas.