2026 Election: Texas governor candidates cast ballots

TEXAS - Monday, Oct. 19, was the first day of voting, and the candidates for Texas governor cast their ballots while taking political shots at each other.

Both candidates are traveling across the state after they cast their ballots in the final push before Election Day.

Greg Abbott and Gina Hinojosa cast ballots

The backstory:

Greg Abbott voted in Del Valle and Gina Hinojosa voted in East Austin. 

"We're facing an election where we have people on the total crazy side, people who are in favor of boys and girls' sports, people who're trying to impose higher taxes, people who are dangerous to the safety of our communities," Abbott said. He says he voted Republican up and down the ballot. 

"There is one fight in this election, it is the fight of our time. Is this going to be a Texas that is by and for the people? Or is this the billionaire's world, and we just live here?" Hinojosa said. 

Hinojosa files lawsuit to look at Abbott and Elon Musk emails

What they're saying:

Hinojosa then headed to the courthouse to file a lawsuit to see Abbott's unredacted emails with Elon Musk. She filed a public information request in September and was denied.

"Nobody here is accusing Greg Abbott of having a torrid love affair with Elon Musk. I don't think that's what this is about. What this is about is we have the world's only trillionaire getting massive tax breaks from this governor after giving him over $500,000 in campaign contributions," Hinojosa said.

"It's another act of desperation we see act after act of desperation. What Gina is trying to do more than anything else is to try to get attention for her and her campaign. I got to tell you why. She sees what I know and that is that this election has slipped through her hands. She doesn't have any ability to do anything else other than to grasp at straws to get attention, and it's just not going to work because Texas has figured out who she is. She was a fake candidate for most of the time during this period," Abbott said.

Will Boca Chica Beach be sold to Musk?

Dig deeper:

Both candidates also addressed the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission considering selling Boca Chica Beach to Elon Musk.

"These are Texas beaches that are enshrined in our Texas Constitution as being free and open to the public. They belong to Texans, but there is nothing that Greg Abbott won't sell out, and he has sold out Texans. People are angry," Hinojosa said.

"What I know is that it's not coming up for a vote anytime soon. I don't know what the details are about what Parks and Wildlife is looking at. But listen, what I want to do is to make sure, whether it be there or any other place in the State of Texas, that we live up to what I've signed into law and what I been going across the state announcing. I've been at multiple locations across the state where we are adding new parks to the entire parks and wildlife system," Abbott said.

2026 ElectionsElectionTexas PoliticsGreg AbbottTexas