Chris Bell Announces Campaign to Challenge Greg Abbott for Governor
Former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell on Monday announced a campaign to challenge Republican incumbent Greg Abbott for governor.
“Given what we saw in the elections last Tuesday, people are ready for change,” Bell told The Dallas Morning News, saying that his record of public service and interactions with voters throughout a long career in politics give him an edge against Abbott.
Abbott launched his reelection campaign Sunday in Houston.
“The experience factor is going to be huge,” said Bell, who announced his campaign with an Austin news conference.
Background and Experience
Bell, 65, is running in the March 3 Democratic primary in a field that includes state Rep. Gina Hinojosa of Austin, Houston businessman Andrew White and Quitman rancher Bobby Cole.
He said he was the best choice to be the nominee against Abbott.
“It’s one thing to talk. It’s another thing to deliver,” Bell said. “I have a record that people can look to, and they don’t have to be guessing about how I handle certain issues.”
“That’s going to be especially important for a Democratic governor working with what will most likely be a Republican-majority House and Senate,” Bell added. “I’ve been in those situations before, where I have had to look to work things out with people on the other side, and I really have always enjoyed doing so.”
Democratic senate candidate and former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell of Houston during a meeting with the The Dallas Morning News editorial board on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, in Dallas. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News)
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
Past Elections and Experience
Bell, a Houston lawyer, was the Democratic nominee for governor in 2006, when he lost to Republican Rick Perry.
A former Houston council member, Bell served one term in Congress (2003-2005). He was caught up in the Republican-driven 2003 redistricting effort. His 25th Congressional District was renumbered District 9 and revised to include a heavy majority of Black and Latino voters. In 2004 Democrat Al Green, a former president of the Houston NAACP, won the seat.
The 2006 race for Texas governor was one of the most unusual in the state’s history. Perry won with 39% percent of the vote against four major challengers. Bell was second with nearly 30%, followed by former Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn with 18% and musician/humorist Kinky Friedman with 12%. Friedman and Strayhorn, who spent most of her political career as a Republican, ran as independent candidates.
Gov. Greg Abbott waves to supporters as he announces his reelection campaign for Texas governor in Houston, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Jason Fochtman / AP
Learning from Past Experiences
Bell has been unsuccessful in seeking public office since winning the 2006 Democratic nomination for governor. In 2008 he lost a special state Senate contest to Republican Joan Huffman of Houston. He finished fifth in a 2015 Houston mayoral race and sixth in the 2020 Democratic primary for the Senate seat held by Republican John Cornyn.
Bell said he’s learned from a long political career.
“Given the experience I’ve had since the 2006 election is sort of night and day,” Bell said. “There’s just a lot that I’ve learned.”
A Democrat hasn’t won a statewide race since 1994. Bell, despite his past electoral futility, said he could reverse the losing trend.
“The path is there,” he said. “We have to get the votes in the places where we need to get them, and there’s some great pockets of Democrats around the state.”
Conclusion
Chris Bell’s announcement to challenge Greg Abbott for governor marks a new chapter in his long political career. With his experience and record of public service, he believes he can make a difference and bring change to the state of Texas.
