Greg Abbott Enters Final Weekend before Election Day Facing Serious Questions about His Political Future

DALLAS, TX – Career politician Greg Abbott thought 2026 would be a coronation. 

Instead, he enters the final weekend before Election Day in the political fight of his life as questions mount about the strength of his political operation and whether his 30-year reign will soon be coming to an end, despite spending more than $180 million this cycle alone to cling to power.

In a new profile published Saturday, POLITICO Magazine reports that Abbott expected to spend 2026 in “legacy mode,” cruising to a historic fourth term. But he’s found himself locked in a tougher-than-expected race amid voter backlash over high prices, data centers, Flock cameras, and school vouchers.

And the assessment from inside Abbott’s own party is even more striking, as senior Republican leaders tell POLITICO that this year “Abbott has no coattails” to help other candidates get over the finish line and that his close financial ties to billionaire donors have created “distrust.”

Meanwhile, the Houston Chronicle’s “Texas Take” podcast is asking an even bigger question – “Is this the end of Gov. Greg Abbott?” – and describing how his political future “is in question” amid the “toughest reelection of his 30-year political career.”

“Texans have had decades to see who Greg Abbott really works for – and it’s not them. It’s the billionaires and trillionaires of the world who get special treatment, lucrative no-bid state contracts, and tax breaks, while working families get stuck with $6 gas and four-day school weeks. That’s why even Greg Abbott’s fellow Republicans are openly questioning whether he’s overstayed his welcome. Texans deserve a governor who will put Texans first and make sure this state works for them, and that’s just what they’ll get when they elect Gina Hinojosa on Tuesday,” said Texas Democratic Party Spokesman Jacob Long.