2026 State Elections: Governor and Statewide Races Across Texas, California, and New Jersey

Multiple 2026 state election developments were reported across different states with no single unifying event connecting them. In Texas, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa spoke to press in South Houston around a rally opposing Republican incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott, timed to the 61st anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965; separately, Abbott released his 2026 Report to the People of Texas summarizing 2025 legislative accomplishments from the 89th Legislative Session and outlining economic development priorities. Also in Texas, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a close ally of Donald Trump who chaired his three Texas presidential campaigns, is seeking a fourth term; Democrats Vikki Goodwin and Marcos Vélez advanced to a runoff to determine who will challenge him. In California, the Democratic primary field for governor remained unsettled after Rep. Eric Swalwell exited the race, leaving seven major candidates splitting the vote; prominent party figures, described as a speaker emerita and the sitting governor, had not endorsed a candidate as of the reporting. In New Jersey, the 2026 election cycle includes a U.S. Senate race featuring incumbent Democrat Cory Booker, with a candidate filing deadline and primary set for June 2, 2026; Governor Mikie Sherrill, elected in 2025, leads the state's Democratic trifecta into the cycle. Each state's race remains at a different stage: Texas's Lt. Governor race has an active Democratic runoff pending, while the general election matchups for governor in Texas and California are not yet finalized. The outcome of California's crowded Democratic primary remains unresolved, as does whether any party leaders will eventually endorse a candidate. New Jersey's Senate primary timeline is set, but the field of candidates beyond Booker is not detailed in available reporting. These developments are reported independently and do not represent a single connected news event.