University of Texas at Austin

With Election Day a week away, Illinois Democrats are campaigning beyond state lines to aid party allies nationally. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi backed Texas Railroad Commissioner candidate Jon Rosenthal; Sen. Tammy Duckworth campaigned for Sherrod Brown in Ohio; Rahm Emanuel canvassed in New Hampshire; and Rep. Danny Davis and successor nominee La Shawn Ford campaigned for Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate David Crowley. Gov. JB Pritzker is focused on his own reelection, holding a large cash advantage and backing fellow Democrats financially.

Big money is also flowing into Illinois races, including Chicago school board contests, with GOP megadonors Dick and Elizabeth Uihlein and wealthy Democratic-aligned groups both spending heavily to shape outcomes from Springfield to Chicago.

Texas voters head to the polls with Republicans defending longtime dominance amid Democratic hopes fueled by opposition to President Trump. The marquee race pits Democratic state Rep. James Talarico against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton for U.S. Senate, with control implications for Trump's final two years. Gov. Greg Abbott faces an unexpectedly close challenge from state Rep. Gina Hinojosa despite a fundraising edge. Down-ballot, polling shows tight margins for lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, and a Railroad Commission seat. Democrats must flip 14 Texas House seats and four Senate seats for majorities. No Democrat has won statewide in Texas since 1994. Early voting runs through October 30.

After Texas Railroad Commission candidate Bo French posted a screengrab mocking UT Austin's South Asian student section following the Longhorns' win over Ohio State, calling it a problem "far worse than anyone imagined," the post drew bipartisan condemnation from figures including Sen. John Cornyn, House Speaker Dustin Burrows and Karl Rove. Records show UT staff closely monitored the backlash, media inquiries and donor complaints for 36 hours before President Jim Davis issued any response, initially instructing spokespeople to withhold comment and emphasize low international-student enrollment figures.

Davis eventually echoed a UT System statement defending "all Longhorns" without directly condemning French's language. Students and faculty say the episode, alongside other campus speech controversies, reflects a broader institutional shift toward avoiding direct criticism of racism amid rising political pressure on Texas universities.

Texas's 2026 elections feature unexpectedly competitive statewide races, a rarity in a state no Democrat has won statewide since 1994. The marquee contest pits state Rep. James Talarico against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton for U.S. Senate, with control of the chamber and the final two years of President Trump's term potentially at stake. Gov. Greg Abbott faces a tighter-than-expected challenge from state Rep. Gina Hinojosa despite a large fundraising edge. A recent University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll showed Democrat Vikki Goodwin narrowly ahead of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Nathan Johnson slightly leading Mayes Middleton for attorney general, with all surveyed races within the margin of error. Republicans' new congressional redistricting plan will also be tested.

Texas Democrats are testing whether anti-Trump sentiment can break the GOP's decades-long statewide winning streak, with no Democrat having won statewide office since 1994. The marquee race pits Democratic state Rep. James Talarico against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton for a U.S. Senate seat that could affect the chamber's balance. Gov. Greg Abbott faces an unexpectedly close challenge from state Rep. Gina Hinojosa despite a large fundraising edge. A University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll found several other statewide races within the margin of error, including lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, and a Railroad Commission seat. The elections will also test a Republican plan to redraw five Democratic U.S. House districts.

The city of Austin says it is close to a deal with the University of Texas that would transfer ownership of Lions Municipal Golf Course, known as Muny, to the city. The agreement, which would amend the 1989 Brackenridge Development Agreement, also involves the West Austin Youth Association and could include an updated UT lease at Mueller, an exchange of city rights-of-way, a "mutually agreed regulating plan," and creation of a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone. City staff plan to brief the Environmental and Planning Commission in October, with a full City Council vote set for November 19; remaining details would go through boards and commissions before final adoption in spring 2027. Officials credited a large donor gift to UT for helping clear the path to the deal.

Muny, opened in the early 20th century, was Austin's first public golf course and the first in the American South to desegregate, in 1950. Preservationists, organized under the Muny Conservancy, have fought development proposals for the site for decades, with the city operating under a month-to-month lease with UT since 2019.

A University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll of 1,200 registered Texas voters, conducted Sept. 25-Oct. 5, shows several statewide races within the margin of error ahead of Election Day. Democrat James Talarico led Republican Ken Paxton 50%-47% in the U.S. Senate race. In the governor's race, Democrat Gina Hinojosa led Republican Gov. Greg Abbott 49%-48%. Democrat Vikki Goodwin led Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick 49%-46%, and Democrats also held narrow leads in the attorney general and railroad commissioner races, while Republican Don Huffines narrowly led in the comptroller contest.

Inflation and the economy remained voters' top concerns, cited by 21% as Texas's biggest problem, ahead of political corruption/leadership (15%) and the economy generally (10%). President Trump's favorability in Texas stood at 42% favorable versus 50% unfavorable. Abbott's job approval was 44% approve/45% disapprove; Paxton stood at 35%/46%; Patrick at 33%/39%. All results carry margins of error of roughly 2.8-3.3 percentage points.

Polls show Texas Gov. Greg Abbott facing an unusually close re-election fight against Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, a sharp contrast to his more than 10-point win four years ago. Most surveys give Abbott a small single-digit lead, including a Fox News poll showing him roughly five points ahead, but a New York Times/Siena poll found Hinojosa leading 49% to 46%. Analysts attribute the tightening largely to dissatisfaction with President Trump, whose national approval has slipped, along with concerns over cost of living and gas prices eroding his support in Texas.

National Democrats are now investing in the race: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Democratic Governors Association each pledged $1 million to Hinojosa's campaign, which had lagged in fundraising compared with Abbott's $18 million war chest and Senate candidate James Talarico's $70 million haul. Talarico also leads Republican Ken Paxton in several Senate polls. Democrats haven't won statewide in Texas since 1994, and turnout remains the key variable: strong Republican mobilization likely secures Abbott's win, but low turnout could open the door for an upset.