Statewide Battles, Latino Voters and Down-Ballot Contests: the Biggest Texas Political Stories to Watch in 2026

Statewide battles, Latino voters and down-ballot contests: the biggest Texas political stories to watch in 2026

By Gabby Birenbaum, Renzo Downey, Kayla Guo, Eleanor Klibanoff and Alejandro Serrano, The Texas Tribune January 2, 2026 2025 was a jam-packed year in Texas politics. It began with the election of a new House speaker for a regular legislative session that saw Gov. Greg Abbott secure his landmark private school voucher program and Republicans check off priorities ranging from tighter bail laws to a ban on land sales to people from certain foreign …

Texas $1B voucher program nears launch, opening public funds to private education

Texas is preparing to roll out its first statewide private school voucher system, a $1 billion program that will allow families to use public dollars for private school tuition, homeschooling costs, and other educational expenses starting in the 2026-27 school year. The program, created by Senate Bill 2 and branded as Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA), is structured as an education savings account (ESA) overseen by the state comptroller’s …

Families can soon apply for Texas’ $1 billion school voucher program. Here’s how it works

Applications for Texas Education Freedom Accounts can be submitted starting Feb. 4. The initiative reshapes how families can use public education dollars and sparks debate over equity, oversight and cost.