Gov. Greg Abbott officially launched his reelection campaign Sunday with a promise to provide Texans significant property tax relief, including the ability for voters to abolish property taxes that fund public schools.
“Local governments must live within their own means — just like you have to live within your means,” Abbott said during a Houston rally. “I want all property tax increases to be voted on and approved by two-thirds of voters.”
Gov. Greg Abbott announced his election campaign by unveiling a plan that would significantly reform property taxes in Texas. The plan will be the centerpiece of his next term, one that could make him the longest serving governor in Texas history. One of the points in his plan is to give Texans an opportunity to vote on eliminating property taxes for school districts.
Abbott released a one-page synopsis of his plan before his speech, which stated “despite record state relief, local government tax increases have wiped out billions in savings for homeowners” and “voters deserve the right to decide whether to abolish school district taxes.”
Gov. Greg Abbott waves to supports as he announces his re-election campaign for Texas governor in Houston, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Jason Fochtman / AP
Abbott’s plan does not detail how public schools would be funded without school district property taxes.
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Last week voters approved a series of constitutional amendments, many of them related to property tax relief.
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“We are going to turn the tables on local taxing authorities, put the power with the people, and end out-of-control property taxes in Texas,” Abbott said.
Abolishing school property taxes would require a Texas constitutional amendment, which can only be placed on the ballot with 100 votes in the Texas House and 21 in the Senate.
Gov. Greg Abbott announces his re-election campaign for Texas governor in Houston, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Jason Fochtman / AP
Public school advocates and local leaders have been wary of plans to mitigate the taxing authority of municipalities or abolish property taxes outright.
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Former Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said removing property taxes as a funding source could create more reliance on sales taxes to fund services like public education.
“A sales tax is a progressive tax and creates an unfair burden on poor folks,” Hinojosa said. “If you take away the property taxes, it just creates an unfortunate division between the haves and the have-nots. It’s popular with people who own property, but it’s not popular when you’re trying to run government, to run a school district, to run the city or municipality where you need services that everybody benefits from, like sewer and water and schools and roads.”
Along with giving voters the chance to abolish property taxes for public schools, the six-point plan would also:
Cap the growth of property appraisals to 3%. Abbott’s plan “would expand that cap to all properties, which would help renters and businesses” and keep housing affordable.Require two-thirds approval from voters on all property tax increases.Limit local spending to a formula based on population plus inflation or 3.5% (the lesser of the two).Empower voters to roll back property tax rates through referendums. If 15% of registered voters in a local area file a petition to roll back tax rates, an election on the matter would be held.Create property tax appraisal predictability. Abbott’s plan would require properties to be appraised once every five years for “fewer surprises” and “more peace of mind for Texas families and businesses.”
Many lawmakers have been frustrated by rising property taxes, even as the Legislature has moved to provide relief.
For the next two years the state has allocated $51 billion for property tax relief, one of Abbott’s signature achievements.
“Governor Greg Abbott has delivered the largest property tax relief ever provided by any governor in American history–$51 billion in relief for Texans this session alone,” the brief of the plan states. “However, spiking appraisals and local government tax hikes are wiping out the savings of hardworking Texans. Governor Abbott is going to overhaul the property tax system to give Texans the power to stop local governments from hiking your property taxes. Texans deserve complete control over their property taxes.”
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Abbott’s campaign for governor could be historic. If he wins reelection, he’ll have the chance to become the longest serving governor in Texas history. Republican Rick Perry led the state for 14 years.
Gov. Greg Abbott waves to supports as he announces his re-election campaign for Texas governor in Houston, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. Abbott is seeking a historic fourth term, which would position him to become the longest-serving governor in Texas history, surpassing the 14 years served by Rick Perry.
Jason Fochtman / Houston Chronicle
Property tax relief has been an ongoing goal during Abbott’s tenure as governor. The ultimate success of the plan, which could help define Abbott’s legacy, involves getting buy-in from the Republican-controlled Legislature. Democrats in the Texas House currently have the votes to block constitutional amendments. Abbott plans to use his push for greater property tax relief not only to boost his reelection campaign, but help Republicans win down-ballot legislative races in order to add to the GOP majority in the Legislature.
“Governor Abbott is a strong conservative leader who has delivered economic opportunity, property tax relief, strong schools and a secure southern border,” said state Rep. Matt Shaheen, R-Prosper, who supports meaningful property tax relief. “Texas will greatly benefit from Greg Abbott serving another term as governor.”
There are several Democrats vying to challenge Abbott in the general election, including state Rep. Gina Hinojosa of Austin and Houston businessman Andrew White. Former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell, D-Houston, has called an Austin news conference for Monday, where he could announce a campaign for governor.
FILE – Texas state Rep Gina Hinojosa speaks during a rally to protest against redistricting hearings at the Texas Capitol, July 24, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
Eric Gay / AP
“It’s definitely time for a change,” said state Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie.
Turner said Texas has the highest rate of residents without health insurance, public schools need better funding and many Texans — including women who don’t have reproductive rights — have lost their freedoms.
“Greg Abbott has been governor of Texas for a full decade now and it’s hard to reflect back on his 10 years as governor and name any significant accomplishment that has actually benefited the people of Texas,” Turner said.
Abbott said Sunday that Texas has prospered under his watch, pointing to what he said were efforts to make Texas schools more competitive, including his hard-fought effort to allow students to use public money to attend private schools. He also touted the Texas economy and public safety efforts, including border security and money pumped into public schools.
“To hire and keep the best teachers, we provided the largest teacher pay raise ever. To improve outcomes for our students, we redoubled our focus on critical core subjects like reading, writing, math and science,” Abbott said. “We also passed laws to stop indoctrinating our kids, ban DEI, and ensure that there are no boys in girls’ sports. All these elements together will put Texas on the pathway to ensuring we are No. 1 in education.”
Abbott, who turns 68 on Nov. 13, is a former Texas Supreme Court justice and attorney general. He won his first term as governor in 2014, defeating former state Sen. Wendy Davis by 20 percentage points. That general election remains his high-water mark, though Davis was considered more formidable than his 2018 opponent, former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez. He beat Valdez by 13.7 percentage points. Four years later Abbott defeated Beto O’Rourke, after easily outpacing former U.S. Rep. Allen West — now chairman of the Dallas County Republican Party — and former state Sen. Don Huffines in the GOP primary. The primary contest was a test of Abbott’s strength with the party’s most conservative activists. He won 66.4% of the vote in the eight-candidate field.
The filing period for the March primaries opened Saturday and to this point Abbott doesn’t face major Republican opposition.
A man is seen during a rally in support of Gov. Greg Abbott in Houston, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025.
Jason Fochtman / Houston Chronicle
On Sunday he asked Texans to help him win another term.
“What we have in Texas is precious. But it can all be destroyed in one bad election. In one election government can crush your economy, destroy your jobs and increase your taxes,” Abbott said.
The crowd chanted “four more years.”
“We are Texans, and in 2026 we will remind the whole world that the spirit of Texas will never be broken,” Abbott said. “We will win this election. We will defend this great state. We will leave our children and grandchildren a Texas that is safer, stronger, freer and more prosperous than ever before.”