Three of the four candidates atop the Texas midterm ballot rallied supporters in Fort Worth on Monday, Oct. 19, the first day of early voting.

Gov. Greg Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Rep. James Talarico each held campaign events across the city, as first reported by the Fort Worth Report.

Gubernatorial challenger Gina Hinojosa spent the day in Austin and San Antonio but is scheduled to visit Fort Worth on Oct. 27.

Both party chairs in Tarrant County said the attention from top-of-ticket candidates shows both sides see the county as pivotal.

"It shows what we've been saying throughout this campaign, that Tarrant County really is the battleground county for our state …" said Tim Davis, chair of the Tarrant County GOP.

Allison Campolo, chair of the Tarrant County Democratic Party, told the Fort Worth Report the presence of all three candidates confirmed both parties are focused on the same prize: Tarrant.

For northeast Tarrant voters, early voting locations include Southlake Town Hall, the Colleyville Recreation Center Annex A, the Grapevine Public Library and the Town of Westlake Fire-EMS Department, according to NBC DFW. Polls are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday, Oct. 23.

Hours expand to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, and from Monday, Oct. 26, through Friday, Oct. 30. Sunday, Oct. 25, hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Abbott launches tour at Fort Worth brewery

Abbott launched his "Let's Roll, Get Out the Vote" tour at Old Texas Brewing Co. in Fort Worth, where a campaign staffer told the Star-Telegram 500 people were expected. He touted a property tax relief plan he said would save the average family $4,000 per year.

Across the street, about 50 Hinojosa supporters chanted "Fire Greg Abbott. Save our schools." Campaign spokesperson Tommy Kubitschek said Tarrant County is central to Hinojosa's campaign because of the state's intervention in Fort Worth ISD.

Harold Parkey, a 77-year-old Vietnam War veteran and lifelong Fort Worth resident, joined the demonstration. Public education is his biggest reason for supporting Hinojosa, the Fort Worth Report reported.

Paxton draws crowd at T&P Station

Paxton wrapped up his "Come and Take It" bus tour stop at T&P Station in downtown Fort Worth on Monday evening. The Fort Worth Report described a standing room-only crowd of about 500. The Star-Telegram put the number at roughly 250.

Federal Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Comptroller Don Huffines introduced Paxton. He said he would "take on big pharma and big food" in the Senate and referenced Talarico's comments on gender issues.

Talarico rallies at North Crowley High School

Lines wrapped around North Crowley High School before Talarico's evening rally. Supporters filled the basketball gym.

Talarico, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, was joined by local candidates including Tarrant County judge hopeful Alisa Simmons.

He focused on rising fuel and grocery costs and targeted billionaire donors to Paxton's campaign, naming Elon Musk, Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks.

Sarah Gates, a Fort Worth resident who waited in line as the sun set, said Talarico's immigration stance was her biggest reason for supporting him.

Why Tarrant matters

Tarrant is the largest Republican-held county in Texas. Voters narrowly backed Democratic candidates in the 2018 midterms and 2020 presidential election, the Fort Worth Report noted. President Donald Trump won the county with 51.82% in 2024.

The shift accelerated in January, when Democrat Taylor Rehmet won a special election for a Tarrant County state Senate seat by 14 percentage points in a district Trump had carried by 17, as the Texas Tribune reported.

Keith Gaddie, a political science professor at Texas Christian University, told the Fort Worth Report the candidates' choice to start in Tarrant made sense. He called it "potentially the most competitive large urban county in the state."

Election Day is Nov. 3.