How Gov. Greg Abbott wields power

• If he wins in November, Abbott could break former Gov. Rick Perry's record of 14 years and one month in office.

What they're saying: "He can be governor as long as he wants," Cal Jillson, political science professor at Southern Methodist University near Dallas, tells Axios.

Zoom in: Abbott has exercised power through disaster declarations, veto threats and state agency control, even as Texas governors are institutionally weak, Brandon Rottinghaus, political science professor at the University of Houston, tells Axios.

• The governor wields major influence over the state Legislature, using his fundraising prowess in 2024 to help oust GOP lawmakers who opposed his school voucher program, which passed last year.
• "The strongest governors are the ones who can make the most of the powers that they have. He's done that," Rottinghaus says of Abbott. "He's pushed Texas' traditionally weak governor model close to its limits."

The other side: "All indicators are that this is the perfect opportunity, kind of perfect storm of opportunities, to be running for change," state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, the Austin Democrat challenging Abbott, tells Axios.

• Hinojosa emphasized strong Democratic turnout in this year's primary election, and signs that Texas Hispanic voters are turning back toward Democrats, as signals that the party can perform better in November.

State of play: The most recent polling from the Texas Politics Project at UT Austin, conducted in February, shows 46% of registered voters surveyed approved of Abbott's job as governor, while 44% disapproved.

• Meanwhile, 43% of respondents said at the time that they didn't know Hinojosa or had no opinion of her.

"Governor Abbott's main focus is building on Texas' record of success and delivering even more results for hardworking families," Abbott spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris tells Axios in a statement.

• "Governor Abbott will continue working with the Legislature to put Texans first and make life more affordable."

Follow the money: Abbott has proven to be a fundraising powerhouse. Money has "allowed him to reshape the Republican party in his image," Rottinghaus says.

• Abbott's campaign, Texans for Greg Abbott, raised more than $2 million during one month earlier this year, per the most recent report from late February. He had $95.5 million on hand.
• Hinojosa raised about $951,000 in the same time frame and had about $618,000 on hand.

Between the lines: While Abbott has amassed a lot of power in Texas, it doesn't mean he'd succeed if he sought higher office nationally, Jillson says.

• Abbott has been mentioned as a presidential contender before, but he's not currently a top name — and 2028 could be a difficult year for Republicans nationally.

What's next: Texans can expect Abbott to exert more executive power and be more willing to bypass or pressure the Legislature next year if he wins reelection, Rottinghaus says.

• Property tax relief is Abbott's top priority for next year's legislative session, Mahaleris says.