Tarrant, Collin, Denton counties deliver decisive Democratic shift in 2026
Tarrant, Collin, and Denton counties voted Democratic in major statewide races, a sharp departure from their Republican leanings in 2022 and 2024.
By James Anderson ·
Voters in three North Texas suburbs broke with their historical Republican voting patterns in the 2026 midterm elections. Tarrant, Collin, and Denton counties each returned Democratic majorities for all four major statewide offices. This shift stands in contrast to the 2024 presidential race and the 2022 midterm cycle, where these counties favored Republican candidates.
The change is most visible in Tarrant County, home to Fort Worth. In 2022, Greg Abbott won the county for governor with 51.3% of the vote. Last year, Donald Trump carried the county for president with 51.8%. In 2026, Democratic candidate Gini Hinojosa defeated Abbott by a 14.2 point margin in the county. Senator James Talarico also won Tarrant County, capturing 58.7% of the vote against Ken Paxton's 39.5%.
Collin County, which includes Plano and Frisco, showed a similar reversal. Abbott won the governor's race there in 2022 with 54% of the vote, and Trump won the presidency in 2024 with 54%. This year, Hinojosa took the county with 51.5% of the vote, edging out Abbott by 4.5 points. Talarico performed better in Collin, winning 55.1% of the vote compared to Paxton's 43%.
Denton County, which includes Carrollton and Lewisville, presented the tightest race among the three suburban counties. Abbott won the governor's race in 2022 with 55.7% of the vote, and Trump won the presidency in 2024 with 55.8%. In 2026, Hinojosa won Denton by just 2.1 points, receiving 50.3% of the vote. Talarico won the county for Senate with 53.3%, while Nathan Johnson won the Attorney General race with 50.2%.
Dallas County, the metro area's core, remained firmly Democratic as it has in recent cycles. Talarico won the county with 71.9% of the vote, and Hinojosa won with 68.8%. In 2024, Kamala Harris won the county with 59.9% of the vote, and Beto O'Rourke won the governor's race there in 2022 with 62.7%.
The 2026 results show a consistent Democratic advantage across the four major statewide races in these suburban counties. Talarico won all four counties listed for the Senate race. Hinojosa won Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, and Denton for governor. Vikki Goodwin won Dallas and Tarrant for lieutenant governor, but lost Collin and Denton to Dan Patrick by narrow margins. Nathan Johnson won all four counties for attorney general.
The election took place in November 2026. The results reflect a move away from the Republican majorities recorded in these specific counties during the 2022 and 2024 elections.
