2026 in Texas

Decades:	2000s; 2010s; 2020s; ; ;
See also:	History of Texas; Historical outline of Texas; List of years in Texas; 2026 in the United States;

The following is a list of events of the year 2026 in the U.S. state of Texas.

Incumbents

State government

Governor: Greg Abbott (R)
Lieutenant Governor: Dan Patrick (R)
Attorney General: Ken Paxton (R)
Comptroller: Kelly Hancock (acting) (R)
Land Commissioner: Dawn Buckingham (R)
Agriculture Commissioner: Sid Miller (R)
Railroad Commissioners: Christi Craddick (R), Wayne Christian (R), and Jim Wright (R)

Events

January

January 3 – Cuban national Geraldo Lunas Campos dies while being restrained by immigration agents at Camp East Montana in El Paso. His death is ruled a homicide. A witness to his death says Lunas Campos repeatedly said "I can't breathe" in Spanish while he was restrained.^[1]
January 21 – Former Uvalde CISD Police officer Adrian Gonzales is acquitted of child abandonment and endangerment for his part in the response to the Robb Elementary School shooting that killed 19 in 2022. Gonzales was accused of abandoning his training and not confronting the gunman before he entered the school.^[2]
January 24–27 – January 2026 North American winter storm: 6 people die across Texas due to snowstorms, including three young brothers who fall through an ice pond in Bonham.^[3]
January 28 – Charles Victor Thompson is executed at the Huntsville Unit state prison for the murder of his former girlfriend and her new boyfriend in 1998. He is the first person to be executed in the U.S. in 2026.^[4]
January 31
- In an upset, Democrat Taylor Rehmet wins a special election in the Texas Senate District 9 special election, beating Leigh Wambsganss with 57.2% of the vote. The district had favored President Trump by 17 points in the 2024 presidential election.^[5]
- 2025–26 Texas's 18th congressional district special election: Former Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee wins the special election run-off for the seat held by Sylvester Turner, who died in March 2025. Menefee beat former Houston City Councilmember Amanda Edwards.^[6]

February

February 10–11 – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) abruptly closes the airspace above El Paso International Airport. Though the restrictions are initially announced to last until February 20, they are lifted the morning of February 11.^[7]

Scheduled events

March 3 - Primary Elections for 2026 United States Senate election in Texas, 2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas, 2026 Texas gubernatorial election, 2026 Texas lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026 Texas Attorney General election, 2026 Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts election, 2026 Texas Commissioner of Agriculture election, 2026 Texas Senate elections, and 2026 Texas House of Representatives elections. There are also 2026 Texas State Board of Education elections in eight districts, and four out of nine 2026 Texas Supreme Court elections. Finally, some local primaries and elections could be held.
May – Universal Kids Resort will open in Frisco, Texas.

References

^ Abbott, Jeff; Martinez, Aaron (January 15, 2026). "Report: Cuban immigrant's death at Camp East Montana likely 'homicide'". El Paso Times. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
^ Gonzalez, Valerie; Vertuno, Jim (January 21, 2026). "Jury acquits ex-officer of charges he failed his duty to confront gunman in Texas school shooting". The Associated Press. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
^ Cortez, Julio; Stengle, Jamie (January 27, 2026). "3 young brothers in Texas die after falling through icy pond during winter storm". The Associated Press. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
^ "Texas man convicted of 2 fatal shootings becomes the 1st person executed in the US this year". ABC 7. January 28, 2026. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
^ Mueller, Julia (February 1, 2026). "Democrats flip Texas state Senate seat in shock upset". The Hill. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
^ English, Molly (February 1, 2026). "Democrat Christian Menefee wins special US House runoff in Texas, shrinking GOP majority even further". CNN. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
^ Ray, Siladitya (February 11, 2026). "FAA Suddenly Reopens El Paso Airspace After 'Cartel Drone Incursion,' Transportation Secretary Says". Forbes. Retrieved February 11, 2026.

[1] Abbott, Jeff; Martinez, Aaron (January 15, 2026). "Report: Cuban immigrant's death at Camp East Montana likely 'homicide'". El Paso Times. Retrieved January 15, 2026.

[2] Gonzalez, Valerie; Vertuno, Jim (January 21, 2026). "Jury acquits ex-officer of charges he failed his duty to confront gunman in Texas school shooting". The Associated Press. Retrieved January 21, 2026.

[3] Cortez, Julio; Stengle, Jamie (January 27, 2026). "3 young brothers in Texas die after falling through icy pond during winter storm". The Associated Press. Retrieved January 27, 2026.

[4] "Texas man convicted of 2 fatal shootings becomes the 1st person executed in the US this year". ABC 7. January 28, 2026. Retrieved January 29, 2026.

[5] Mueller, Julia (February 1, 2026). "Democrats flip Texas state Senate seat in shock upset". The Hill. Retrieved February 1, 2026.

[6] English, Molly (February 1, 2026). "Democrat Christian Menefee wins special US House runoff in Texas, shrinking GOP majority even further". CNN. Retrieved February 1, 2026.

[7] Ray, Siladitya (February 11, 2026). "FAA Suddenly Reopens El Paso Airspace After 'Cartel Drone Incursion,' Transportation Secretary Says". Forbes. Retrieved February 11, 2026.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

Years in Texas
19th century	1845
21st century	2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

History of Texas
By period	French Texas Spanish Texas Mexican Texas Republic of Texas Texas annexation Civil War era Reconstruction State of Texas
By topic	Annexation Border disputes Forests Indian Wars Jewish history Oil boom Revolution Slavery Texas Rangers Vice
By city	Amarillo Austin Brownsville Corpus Christi Dallas El Paso Fort Worth Galveston Houston Kilgore Laredo San Antonio Timelines of cities in Texas
Government agency	Foreign relations of the Republic of Texas Congress of the Republic of Texas Supreme Court of the Republic of Texas Texas Historical Commission
Years in Texas

Incumbents

State government

Events

January

February

Scheduled events

See also

References