Tuesday night changed the political landscape in Texas.
Voters turned out in record numbers, with nearly 9.8 million Texans casting ballots, the most in a Texas midterm election in at least half a century. They elected a Democratic majority to the Texas House while maintaining Republican control of the Senate, making the 90th Legislature one that will require leaders in both chambers to find common ground to move Texas forward.
Texas has an opportunity to seize this bipartisan moment and focus on a shared goal: making our state a place where every Texan has the opportunity to succeed and where the prosperity Texas generates is reflected in the lives of the Texans.
Texans are concerned about the future, but they agree on many of the outcomes
Earlier this year, Texas 2036 asked voters how they felt about the future of our state. Two-thirds, or 67%, said they were extremely or very concerned about where Texas was headed, a striking number for a state with so much going for it.
Texas has one of the largest economies in the world and continues to attract people, employers and investment. But statewide economic growth is not the same thing as individual prosperity. In the same survey, just 52% of voters said Texas’ economic growth had benefited them personally, while one-third said it had not.
This gap should be a central focus of the work ahead: Texans have to be able to see and feel that success in their schools, paychecks, household budgets and communities.
Our 10th Texas Voter Poll offers a roadmap for where to start.
When voters were asked whether a series of policy positions would make them more likely to support a candidate, the strongest-performing issues crossed partisan lines.
Nearly 85% said they would be more likely to support a candidate who wants to ensure all Texas students can read and do math at grade level. More than 83% said the same about reducing healthcare prices, while 82.6% supported ensuring high school students graduate ready for college or a career.
Infrastructure and household costs were not far behind. More than 81% responded positively to both reducing residential electricity bills and building needed water infrastructure. Nearly three-quarters supported funding community colleges to meet workforce needs, and almost seven in 10 supported making the childcare system more parent-friendly.
Texans will not agree on every policy detail, but they do agree on the outcomes.
Students should leave school prepared to succeed. Families should be able to afford healthcare and the basic costs of living. Businesses should have access to the workforce, water and reliable energy they need to grow. And Texans should have confidence that state government can spend taxpayer dollars wisely and implement major reforms effectively.
The work is already underway
Many of these issues are already part of the state’s policy conversation.
In the interim between sessions, House and Senate committees have held hearings on issues that will return when lawmakers convene in January, including public education, workforce, healthcare, water, energy and the performance of state agencies. Those hearings have helped surface data, implementation challenges and policy options that will shape the 90th Legislature.
At the same time, other work is moving in parallel. For example, the Governor’s Task Force on Early Childhood Care and Education is examining how Texas can better coordinate a childcare system currently spread across multiple agencies, while simultaneous Sunset reviews of the Texas Workforce Commission and Health and Human Services Commission create an opportunity to address longstanding governance and accountability questions. The governor’s teacher task force is also considering policies aimed at strengthening the teaching profession. And on infrastructure, development of the next State Water Plan is helping define the long-term projects and investments Texas will need to support continued population and economic growth.
The point is that the 90th Legislature will not be starting from scratch. Much of the groundwork has already been laid. The opportunity now is to build on that work and turn it into measurable improvements in Texans’ lives.
A Playbook for the work ahead
That is the context in which Texas 2036 released our 2027 Policy Playbook last week.
The Playbook brings together years of research, data and polling to identify practical opportunities to improve Texans’ lives and sustain the state’s prosperity over the long term.
Its recommendations span the systems that most directly shape how to position Texans for success: education and workforce, healthcare and childcare, water and energy infrastructure, and the performance of state government.
The policy priorities put forth include:
- Helping more students master reading and math and successfully transition into postsecondary education or the workforce
- Addressing healthcare costs that affect families, employers and teachers whose rising premiums can erode the value of compensation increases
- Preparing water and energy systems for continued population and economic growth
- Ensuring that when Texas makes major investments or adopts significant reforms, the state has the data, technology and implementation capacity necessary to deliver the intended results.
The 90th Legislature will have debates about the size and role of government, how programs should be designed, how resources should be allocated and which policies are most effective. Those differences are part of the legislative process.
But the chambers can approach those debates with a shared purpose: ensuring more Texans feel equipped to succeed and more families can see themselves in the prosperity Texas continues to create.
Our polling suggests Texans are ready for their leaders to focus on that work. The interim has already helped lay the groundwork. And our 2027 Policy Playbook offers research-backed recommendations for where policymakers can begin.
As the 90th Legislature takes shape, this is an opportunity to build on what Texas does well, address the pressures Texans are feeling today and strengthen the systems that will determine whether our state continues to prosper in the decades ahead.
Explore the 2027 Policy Playbook and our recommendations for the 90th Texas Legislature.
