Texas Governor Greg Abbott Announces Bid for Fourth Term, Outlines Property Tax Plan and Economic Vision
In a televised address from Houston, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced his candidacy for re-election, touting the state's strong economy and his own policies as key reasons to support his campaign. The 72-year-old governor, who has been in office since 2015, said he is seeking a fourth term as governor after being elected three times.
Abbott touted Texas's thriving economy, which is the eighth largest in the world, and highlighted the state's dominance in electricity generation. He also claimed that the Texas economy is growing twice as fast as the US economy, citing this as evidence of his leadership.
As part of his announcement, Abbott outlined a sweeping property tax reform plan aimed at "rein in skyrocketing appraisals" and giving voters more control over local property taxes. The proposal includes eliminating school property taxes and requiring two-thirds voter approval for any future property tax hikes.
This comes just weeks after Texas voters approved constitutional amendments to reduce property taxes, which Abbott said would help level the playing field and prevent out-of-control local taxing authorities.
Trump Endorses Abbott's Bid
In a statement on Truth Social, President Trump endorsed Abbott's bid for re-election, praising his leadership and commitment to "Texas Values" such as economic growth, tax cuts, and border security.
Abbott has been a prominent figure in Texas politics for decades, serving as governor since 2015 and before that as Attorney General from 2002 to 2015. During his time in office, he has signed into law several notable bills, including the Texas Heartbeat Act and Operation Lone Star, a border security initiative.
Abbott's campaign will face stiff competition from Democratic candidates Andrew White and Gina Hinojosa, who are vying for the party's nomination to take on Abbott in 2026.
In a televised address from Houston, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced his candidacy for re-election, touting the state's strong economy and his own policies as key reasons to support his campaign. The 72-year-old governor, who has been in office since 2015, said he is seeking a fourth term as governor after being elected three times.
Abbott touted Texas's thriving economy, which is the eighth largest in the world, and highlighted the state's dominance in electricity generation. He also claimed that the Texas economy is growing twice as fast as the US economy, citing this as evidence of his leadership.
As part of his announcement, Abbott outlined a sweeping property tax reform plan aimed at "rein in skyrocketing appraisals" and giving voters more control over local property taxes. The proposal includes eliminating school property taxes and requiring two-thirds voter approval for any future property tax hikes.
This comes just weeks after Texas voters approved constitutional amendments to reduce property taxes, which Abbott said would help level the playing field and prevent out-of-control local taxing authorities.
Trump Endorses Abbott's Bid
In a statement on Truth Social, President Trump endorsed Abbott's bid for re-election, praising his leadership and commitment to "Texas Values" such as economic growth, tax cuts, and border security.
Abbott has been a prominent figure in Texas politics for decades, serving as governor since 2015 and before that as Attorney General from 2002 to 2015. During his time in office, he has signed into law several notable bills, including the Texas Heartbeat Act and Operation Lone Star, a border security initiative.
Abbott's campaign will face stiff competition from Democratic candidates Andrew White and Gina Hinojosa, who are vying for the party's nomination to take on Abbott in 2026.
... i think he has a solid case, but also gotta acknowledge some concerns about property tax reform 
. as someone who lives in california, where housing prices are through the roof, it's hard to relate to texas's issues, but i do get why folks would want more control over their local taxes 
. what's worrying me tho is the impact on public schools... eliminating school property taxes might lead to some serious funding shortfalls 
. need to see how this plays out before making a final verdict 
. And with the state's economy being so strong, it might actually work... but we'll see how it plays out 
. The thing is, though, property taxes aren't just about the governor - it's about local governments and what they do with that money 
. I wonder if Abbott's plan will be enough to address the root issues or just a bandaid solution 
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. this whole "Texas is growing twice as fast as the US economy" thing sounds fishy to me... where's the actual data? i mean, sure, it's great that texas has a strong economy and all, but can we really rely on just one metric like economic growth rate? what about other factors like education, healthcare, and environmental sustainability?
. eliminating school property taxes? isn't that just shifting the burden to local governments or something? two-thirds voter approval for future hikes? that's a pretty high bar to clear... what's to stop politicians from just doing whatever they want behind closed doors?
. it's all about the brand recognition and voter turnout at this point. can't wait to see how this all plays out in 2026 
its economy is on fire 
like 8th largest in the world and all thanks to abbott's policies 
but idk if his property tax plan is really gonna help ppl out 
Abbott's been doin this politics thing for ages and its getting old 
we need some new blood in texas politics 
so whoever wins this thing gotta stay on their toes 
... but at the same time, I don't know if it's gonna work out 
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. Anyway, it's gonna be interesting to see how this all plays out - stay tuned! 
and the economy is only growing because everyone else is struggling. plus, property tax reform is just code for "we're gonna make sure rich ppl don't get screwed over too much" 
. We need to make sure our state is taking care of its most vulnerable populations too, you know? 
And don't even get me started on the school property tax thing – how's that supposed to affect education? 
My kid's school is already struggling with funding cuts, and now they're gonna take away even more money? 
The guy is a polarizing figure, no doubt about it... but does he really need to weigh in on this? 
.
. Anyway, property tax reform plan? Yeah, because that's exactly what we need - more politicians trying to "help" us with our taxes. I'm sure his plan will be super transparent and won't have any hidden agendas... right? 