No, Greg Abbott Is Not Seeking a Fourth Term — He's Still in His Third

The claim that Greg Abbott is seeking a fourth term as Texas governor is false. Abbott is currently in the middle of his third term, which does not end until January 2027. The next Texas gubernatorial election will not even be held until November 2026.

According to the Texas Tribune, Abbott won his third term in November 2022, defeating Democrat Beto O'Rourke. He was first elected in 2014, re-elected in 2018, and re-elected again in 2022 — three terms total, not three completed terms with a fourth underway.

The Office of the Texas Governor confirms his current term runs through January 2027. Ballotpedia, which tracks candidate filings and campaign announcements, found no confirmed announcement of a fourth-term campaign as of early 2025. A candidate seeking office and a candidate who is eligible to seek office are two very different things.

To be fair, there is a kernel of truth here worth acknowledging: Texas has no term limits for governor, so Abbott is legally free to run in 2026. But being eligible to run is not the same as actively running. No filing, no official announcement, and no campaign have been confirmed.

This kind of claim spreads because it sounds plausible — Abbott is a prominent, long-serving governor — and because people on both sides of the political aisle tend to share political news quickly without checking whether an actual announcement was made. If you see a headline about any politician 'seeking' a new term, look for a direct quote or an official campaign filing before sharing it.