HOUSTON – Texans will choose a governor and U.S. senator on Tuesday. Nov. 3, the issues driving those races reach directly into voters’ wallets, schools, and communities.
For months, KPRC’s ENOUGH team has been asking voters what matters most to them. Property taxes, education, affordability, immigration, and other issues repeatedly came up in conversation at the polls.
The episode focuses on the Republican and Democratic nominees Gina Hinojosa, Greg Abbott, James Talarico, and Ken Paxton. Libertarian Pat Dixon is also running for governor, and Libertarian Ted Brown is also running for U.S. Senate.
Abbott vs. Hinojosa for governor
Property taxes
Republican Governor Greg Abbott has proposed eliminating school district property taxes on homesteads. When asked how Texas would replace that revenue without cutting programs or shifting costs, Abbott said the state would fully fund public education and pointed to state budget surpluses and more property-tax relief strategies.
Democrat Gina Hinojosa was asked about an Abbott campaign claim that she voted 40 times to raise property taxes. She defended her record and said decisions about local property-tax revenue should remain with locally elected governments.
Schools and vouchers
Abbott said the goal of Texas’ school-choice program is the same as its investment in public schools: improving student outcomes.
Hinojosa has opposed the state’s education savings account program. She told KPRC 2 that her priority would be keeping public money in public schools and said she would support repealing the current program if legislation reached her desk.
Data centers
Both candidates were also asked about the rapid expansion of data centers in Texas.
Abbott said future data centers should meet stricter requirements involving electricity, water use and where facilities are built. He also said local leaders and residents should have a greater role in those decisions.
Hinojosa has called for a moratorium on new data centers and an end to certain tax breaks. She argued that data-center companies should pay more of the infrastructure costs associated with their operations.
Healthcare
Abbott has proposed an “Essential Benefits Health Insurance Plan” that he says would lower premiums for families and small businesses.
Hinojosa told KPRC 2 she supports expanding Medicaid, particularly as part of an effort to increase health coverage for Texas children.
Paxton vs. Talarico for U.S. Senate
The University of Houston Hobby School’s Oct. 10–14 survey of likely voters found Democrat James Talarico at 48% and Republican Ken Paxton at 46%, within a race drawing national attention.
Affordability
Talarico told KPRC 2 he would seek bipartisan support in the Senate and tied affordability to changes in campaign finance, congressional stock trading and other government reforms.
Because Paxton did not sit down with the team, the episode uses remarks from his campaign appearances to outline his approach to affordability and the economy.
Campaign money and super PACs
Talarico was also pressed about super PACs supporting his candidacy after criticizing billionaire spending benefiting Paxton.
He acknowledged that outside groups support his campaign but emphasized that candidates legally cannot control or coordinate with those organizations. He said he would support banning super PACs if elected.
AI and data centers
Paxton has said he supports continued data-center development with conditions, including requirements involving power generation, water use and where facilities are located.
Talarico told KPRC 2 he is concerned about the influence of large technology companies and the resources required by AI data centers.
Oil and gas
Talarico said he would oppose members of his own party if he believed Democratic policies threatened Texas oil and gas jobs, particularly in the Houston area.
The episode also includes Paxton’s public comments on the industry and his criticism of Talarico’s energy policies.
How we tried to reach the candidates
Beginning this summer, the team sent certified letters, emails, online interview requests, and made repeated phone calls to the campaigns of Abbott, Hinojosa, Paxton, and Talarico.
Hinojosa agreed to a sit-down interview. Abbott and Talarico answered a limited number of questions during campaign events.
The team also attended a Paxton rally in Conroe in hopes of interviewing him. After waiting about 90 minutes following the event, Paxton did not answer our questions. His publicly available comments from campaign events and other interviews were used to help show his positions on the issues covered in the episode.
The episode focuses on the Republican and Democratic nominees. Libertarian Pat Dixon is also running for governor, and Libertarian Ted Brown is also running for U.S. Senate.
Election Day is Nov. 3
The goal of the extended episode is not to tell Texans how to vote, but to put the candidates’ positions and answers in one place before ballots are cast.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voters can find polling locations and other election information through the Texas Secretary of State’s VoteTexas website.
