Texas affordability plans are the center of this year’s midterm campaign, and candidates from both parties are racing to own the issue. A new voter guide from The Texas Tribune lays out what the major candidates for U.S. Senate, governor and lieutenant governor say they would do about the cost of living. Some have detailed plans. Others, however, have mostly slogans.
Why Texas Affordability Plans Became the Main Event
Voters are feeling squeezed by high prices, and campaigns know it. Because of that, the Tribune reports, candidates up and down the ballot are trying to claim the affordability mantle. Michael Adams, who directs the public affairs master’s program at Texas Southern University, told the paper that affordability has become the defining issue of this cycle. Grocery prices are also hitting shoppers elsewhere, as the Kings Food Markets closures in New Jersey show.
That message is landing in the polls, too. Texas Public Radio reports that Democrat Gina Hinojosa is polling stronger than expected, partly because she keeps hammering on costs. Meanwhile, Fox 7 Austin describes the Senate race as a statistical tie.
Groceries: Who Has a Plan in the Texas Cost of Living Proposals
In the Senate race, Republican Ken Paxton says he would go after food suppliers he accuses of being monopolies that price gouge, especially meatpackers. He also argues that government spending has driven up inflation and says he would rein it in.
Democrat James Talarico, by contrast, takes a different route. He would oppose efforts to restrict federal food aid and add oversight of food-supplier mergers. He would also remove tariffs on produce that can’t be grown in the U.S. and push for more competition among grocery providers.
The governor’s race is lopsided on this topic. Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has not publicized a grocery plan. Instead, his website says his economic efforts have put money in Texans’ wallets. Hinojosa says she would go after major food suppliers. She also points to “surveillance pricing,” where algorithms set the highest price a shopper will pay.
The lieutenant governor’s race follows the same pattern. Republican Dan Patrick has not released a grocery-specific plan. Democrat Vikki Goodwin, on the other hand, would back the Texas Food System Security and Resiliency Planning Council, created in 2024, and invest in local farmers and ranchers. Her approach shows how thin some Texas affordability plans remain on the grocery question.
Property Taxes and Housing Take Center Stage
Abbott, who is seeking a fourth term, wants to abolish school property taxes and make it easier to build homes. According to Kiplinger, his plan would limit local government spending and require two-thirds voter approval for tax increases. It would also cut the annual homestead appraisal cap from 10% to 3%. The same push for relief shows up in Abbott’s reported tuition freeze order, another piece of his Texas affordability agenda.
His campaign says the agenda could cut property taxes by up to 50% and save the average homeowner about $3,000 a year. Those are campaign estimates. Still, the Tribune reports that tax policy experts across the political spectrum are skeptical, especially about the appraisal cap. They note it wouldn’t guarantee lower bills and could push housing costs up.
Hinojosa wants a one-time $1,500 payment to every Texas household, funded with $17 billion from the state’s Rainy Day Fund. She also wants to stop Wall Street from buying single-family homes. According to the Texarkana Gazette, she would use savings from ending corporate subsidies to cut property taxes.
The two campaigns are also trading punches over her record. Abbott’s campaign says 40 of Hinojosa’s votes gave local officials room to raise taxes. Hinojosa says those votes are taken out of context. “I have never, not once, voted to increase property taxes, and anyone who says otherwise is lying,” she said.
The Senate Race: Tax Breaks vs. Corporate Crackdowns
Paxton’s plan, called “Protecting the Texas Promise,” includes a $25,000 tax deduction for medical expenses and a $50,000 deduction for first-time home buyers. He also backs an expanded Child Tax Credit and permanent “Trump Accounts.” Andrew Lautz of the Tax Foundation says the deductions would favor higher earners and give little to lower-income families.
Talarico leans on wages, tax credits and tougher action against corporations. He would reinstate enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits and expand the low-income housing tax credit. He has also proposed abolishing the gas tax. “The top 1% has put the American dream behind a paywall,” he said. Both Senate candidates want a bigger child tax credit, so the real contrast between these Texas candidates’ cost plans lies in who benefits most.
What Can Texas Affordability Plans Actually Deliver?
Here’s the catch. Many Senate proposals, from tariffs to food aid to tax credits, depend on Congress, not Texas. Houston Public Media asks that exact question about what a senator could deliver. Governors and legislators, in contrast, have more direct control over property taxes and state spending, which is why those fights are so heated.
The general election is in November. Abbott is touring the state with what he calls the Abbott Affordability Agenda, so expect the cost-of-living pitch to get louder. Before you vote, check each candidate’s plan against what they could actually do in office. Weighing Texas affordability plans this way will show which promises are realistic.
