2022 Texas gubernatorial election

The 2022 Texas gubernatorial election will take place on November 8, 2022, to elect the Governor of Texas. As Texas does not have gubernatorial term limits, incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott is running for re-election to a third term in office.[1]

2022 Texas gubernatorial election

November 8, 2022

Party Republican Democratic

Incumbent Governor Greg Abbott Republican

Republican primary

Declared

• Greg Abbott, incumbent governor[1]
• Martin Holsome, former Rusk city councillor[2]
• Chad Prather, BlazeTV talk show host and comedian[3]

Potential

• Christi Craddick, Texas Railroad Commissioner[4]
• Dan Crenshaw, U.S. Representative for Texas's 2nd congressional district[5]
• Glenn Hegar, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts[4]
• Sid Miller, Texas Agriculture Commissioner[6]
• Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General[4]
• Joe Straus, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives[7]
• Allen West, chair of the Texas Republican Party and former U.S. Representative for Florida's 22nd congressional district[8]

Declined

• George P. Bush, Texas Land Commissioner and member of the Bush family[4][9]
• Dan Patrick, Lieutenant Governor of Texas (running for re-election)[10]

Democratic primary

Publicly expressed interest

• Beto O'Rourke, former U.S. Representative for Texas's 16th congressional district, nominee for U.S. Senate in 2018, and candidate for President of the United States in 2020[11][12]

Potential

• Mitchell Polk, Retired U.S. Army Veteran of central Texas
• Joaquin Castro, U.S. Representative for Texas's 20th congressional district[13]
• Julián Castro, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, former Mayor of San Antonio, and candidate for President of the United States in 2020[13]
• Eric Johnson, Mayor of Dallas and former state representative[14]
• Beverly Powell, state senator[15]
• Mike Rawlings, former Mayor of Dallas and former CEO of Pizza Hut[14]
• Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, labor organizer and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2020[16]

Libertarian convention

Declared

• Dan Behrman, software engineer, internet personality, nominee for state representative from TX-125 in 2014, and candidate for President of the United States in 2020[17]

Independent

Declared

• Patrick Wynne, software engineer, data scientist, and U.S. Navy veteran[18][19]

Potential

• Matthew McConaughey, Academy Award-winning actor (unclear party affiliation)[20]

General election

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report[21]	Likely R	February 1, 2021

Polling

Hypothetical polling
Poll source Date(s) administered Sample size[lower-alpha 1] Margin of error Greg Abbott (R) Generic Democrat Undecided Data For Progress[upper-alpha 1] September 15–22, 2020 726 (LV) ± 3.6% 46% 34% 20%

Notes

1. Key:
   A – all adults
   RV – registered voters
   LV – likely voters
   V – unclear

Partisan clients

1. Poll sponsored by the Defend Students Action Fund.

References

1. Tilove, Jonathan (June 14, 2019). "Tilove: Abbott says Biden will fade and Trump will win Texas". Austin American-Statesman. He said he plans to run for a third term in 2022.
2. "Martin Holsome Future Republican Candidate for Texas Governor". www.facebook.com. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
3. "BlazeTV's Chad Prather announces he's running for Governor of Texas". TheBlaze. July 10, 2020.
4. Ramsey, Ross (December 20, 2019). "Analysis: A 2020 holiday fantasy for Texas officeholders looking to 2022". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
5. https://www.texastribune.org/2020/11/23/ted-cruz-greg-abbott-2024/
6. https://www.texastribune.org/2020/11/23/ted-cruz-greg-abbott-2024/
7. https://www.texastribune.org/2020/11/23/ted-cruz-greg-abbott-2024/
8. https://www.texastribune.org/2020/11/23/ted-cruz-greg-abbott-2024/
9. https://www.texastribune.org/2020/11/23/ted-cruz-greg-abbott-2024/
10. "Dan Patrick Announces Reelection Bid, Discusses Property Tax Reform". KFYO News/Talk. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
11. Adams, Buzz (January 25, 2021). "Is El Pasoan Beto O'Rourke running for Governor of Texas?". 95.5 KLAQ. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
12. Wallace, Jeremy (January 28, 2021). "Beto O'Rourke says he's thinking about running for governor". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
13. Ramsey. "Analysis: A 2020 holiday fantasy for Texas officeholders looking to 2022". Retrieved February 17, 2020.
14. "Will Dallas Mayor's Office Be a Political Dead End for Johnson?". Retrieved February 17, 2020.
15. Simmons, Madison (February 22, 2019). "Why Tarrant County's newest senator is getting high marks from her colleagues". star-telegram. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
16. https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/2020/11/28/texas-republicans-eye-2022-and-beyond-after-romping-november-election/6397418002/
17. "Dan "Taxation Is Theft" Behrman". behrman2020.com. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
18. Imgur. October 22, 2020 https://i.imgur.com/uUVk7w2.png. Missing or empty |title= (help)
19. "Vote Patrick Wynne Texas Governor". Retrieved June 10, 2020.
20. "Will Matthew McConaughey run for governor?". The Texas Signal. June 23, 2020.
21. "2022 Governor Race Ratings". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 14, 2021.