By Lauren Fairbanks and J Pete Laney
TAD governmental relations team
Election Day Analysis
The 2026 General Election was marked as one of the most expensive, contentious and unprecedented elections in Texas’ political history. The election saw record setting voter participation and reshaped the political landscape across the state and country.
With one U.S. Senate seat, all 38 congressional districts, seven statewide executive offices, all 150 Texas House seats, and 16 of the 31 Texas Senate seats on the ballot, the election established the political landscape in Austin and Washington, shaking up the balance of power for at least the next two years. Democrats won every statewide office on the ballot in Texas, picked up several important judicial seats and flipped the Texas House to a Democrat majority.
For more insight on the 2026 Texas General Election and results, see here.
What this means for Texas Agriculture
Democratic candidate Clayton Tucker defeated Republican nominee Nate Sheets by around 450,000 votes. Tucker, from Lampasas, is an agriculture business owner and rancher with an educational background including researching water and agricultural policy. He will oversee the Texas Department of Agriculture starting in January. Tucker will be the first Democrat to serve as Texas Agriculture Commissioner since Jim Hightower in 1990. As a new commissioner enters, the government relations team will continue to build relationships and engage with the new administration to advocate for Texas’ dairy and agriculture interests.
Texas House of Representatives
All 150 seats in the Texas House of Representatives were up for election. Democrats made significant gains and secured an 83–67 majority as Texas prepares for the upcoming 90th legislative session. The Texas House will welcome 41 new members, 21 of which represent a net gain of Democrat seats, when they gavel in on Jan. 12. Republicans have controlled the Texas House since 2003 under leaders like Speakers Dustin Burrows, Dade Phelan and Joe Straus. The defeat of 16 Republican incumbents by Democratic challengers shifts the political power dynamic and reshapes expectations for the next Texas House Speaker.
New Speaker of the House
After election results finalized, Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston), the dean of the Texas House, announced her intent to run for Speaker the House. Shortly after her announcement, she quickly gained bipartisan support from 90 members. In a press conference on Nov. 6, Thompson publicly shared her intent to appoint both Democrat and Republican committee chairs. These chairmanships will remain undetermined until she is formally elected as Speaker and makes her appointments. Members of the Texas House of Representatives officially vote on their next Speaker on the first day of the 90th legislative session, Jan. 12.
Texas Senate
16 out of 31 Texas Senate seats were up for reelection, including several open seats from retirements and members seeking other offices. Although statewide and House majorities turned blue – including Lt. Gov.-elect Vikki Goodwin – the Senate will continue to be a Republican majority with 19 of the 31 senators. The last time the Texas Senate had a Republican majority alongside a Democratic lieutenant governor was 1997 through 1998. This new setup could trigger an unprecedented constitutional showdown because the lieutenant governor’s vast powers are not fully guaranteed by the Texas Constitution; they are largely granted by a majority vote of the state senators themselves. Senate committee chairmen could also shift, given that a new lieutenant governor is in place.
Bill Filing
With Election Day behind us and the 90th legislative session ahead, bill filing began on Nov. 9 and will last until March 12. You can view bills and search bills filed here.
Your TAD governmental relations team is already hard at work reading every bill filed and monitoring those that could have an impact on Texas dairy and agriculture.
