The General Land Office oversees investments that earn billions of dollars for public education, manages state lands, operates the Alamo and administers disaster recovery funds and benefits to Texas veterans. Here’s a look at who’s running in the 2026 race and where they stand.
Dawn Buckingham
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Courts
Lawsuit seeks to stop Big Bend border wall construction
A tribal nonprofit and an outdoor recreation company filed the federal lawsuit, arguing the work threatens archeological sites and sacred grounds.
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Immigration
Texas land commissioner orders feds to stop “illegally” clearing state border tract
Dawn Buckingham said a contractor hired by U.S. Customs and Border Protection trespassed and significantly altered land in Presidio County without permission.
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2026 Texas Elections
Democratic land commissioner nominee diagnosed with cancer, announces he’s in remission
Benjamin Flores, who will face GOP incumbent Dawn Buckingham in November, said he would remain in the race.
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Courts
Texas Supreme Court rejects attempt to block beach closures for SpaceX launches
The state constitution preserves public access to Texas beaches, but it doesn’t give private groups the right to sue to enforce that access, the court ruled.
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2026 Texas Elections
Nate Sheets defeats three-term incumbent Sid Miller in GOP primary for Texas agriculture commissioner
Sheets’ campaign was boosted by major endorsements from Gov. Greg Abbott, Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham and industry groups like the Texas Farm Bureau.
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2026 Texas Elections
“Tolerance for criminality”: Why top Republicans are turning on Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller
The three-term incumbent is effectively the underdog in the primary race for his own seat, lagging in fundraising and under attack by members of his own party.
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State Government
Former Alamo Trust President Kate Rogers sues over exit
Rogers resigned from her position after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick criticized a 2023 dissertation in which she asserted the importance of Indigenous people’s history at the Alamo.
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Politics
Indigenous Peoples Day post revives debate over how the Alamo’s history should be told
The post from the official Alamo account was condemned by Republican Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, who said “woke has no place at the Alamo.”
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Environment
How zebra mussels and a Lake Texoma pump station spurred Texas to redraw its border with Oklahoma
The two states agreed to a land swap to ensure that a Dallas-area water district’s pump station lies wholly within Texas. Neither state gained in size from the small change.
