With the historic 2025 elections behind us (mostly), what happened in Texas? Every Texas voter had a chance to vote for or against a lengthy list of constitutional amendments. What measures related to the environment, and what were the outcomes? There were also a handful of local and regional races with local, state, and national implications that definitely deserve the attention of anyone concerned about environmental justice, clean air, and clean water. Let’s dig in…
Proposition 4 passes with significant support
With passage of Proposition 4, the state will begin dedicating up to $1 billion each year (beginning in 2027) to critical water projects including infrastructure repairs, conservation, disaster preparedness, flood mitigation, community resilience, and more. But the work does not end here. We heard from many Sierrans and Texans who were concerned about public dollars going to projects like the Marvin Nichols reservoir in East Texas, coastal seawater desalination plants in places like Corpus Christi, or new data centers. As Evgenia Spears, our Water Program Coordinator recently said, “We have the chance and the responsibility to make sure this money goes to sustainable projects that strengthen our water future, not the projects that Texas communities don’t want. We can make sure this investment benefits every Texan, but only if we stay engaged, show up, and speak up. The real work begins now, and we look forward to working with you every step of the way.”
You can join a community of Texans who are shaping Texas’ water future by signing up for our Water for People and the Environment Committee.
New leadership at the local level
The residents of Taft, TX, near Corpus Christi, took a decisive step towards pro-environment, pro-people leadership with the election of Elida Castillo as its Mayor. As Program Director of Chispa TX, Elida has worked tirelessly to organize and amplify the voices of frontline working class residents in the Coastal Bend who are concerned about industrial air pollution and the push to use public dollars to finance seawater desalination plants. Though relatively small in population, Taft is an important decision making body in San Patricio County, where some of the largest industrial and petrochemical plants in the world have been proposed. Congratulations to Elida and the people of Taft!
Meanwhile, residents in Kyle will have a strong advocate in Claudia Zapata, who won a seat on the Kyle City Council. Claudia is a longtime community organizer in Central Texas who has advocated for immigrant rights and policies that address the climate crisis.
Prop Q in Austin
The Sierra Club had supported Prop Q in Austin, which would have raised funds through property taxes to better support affordable housing and the houseless. Unfortunately, it did not pass, and the interconnectedness between affordability and sustainability remains a wide chasm in this increasingly expensive city. With the cost of living continuing to rise in Austin, the Sierra Club remains steadfast that investments of public dollars must prioritize the needs of residents living on the margins. We look forward to continuing to organize with our community allies to secure a budget that balances those needs with the increasing need to support public health, our parks, worker pay, and investing in making the city more resilient to extreme weather.
Runoff elections
Texas is not done with elections yet. Though politicos can’t stop talking about the big midterm elections next November, there are still races to be determined to fill vacancies at both the state legislature and Texas’ Congressional delegation. For example, in Congressional District 18, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and former Houston City Council Member Amanda Edwards will face each other in a runoff election to determine who fills the remaining term of the late Sylvester Turner. There is also a runoff election in State Senate District 9 between Taylor Rehmet and Leigh Wambsganss.
To see who the Sierra Club has endorsed, please follow our social media accounts and bookmark TurnTexasGreen.org, where we post all endorsements.
What comes next?
Now, our focus turns to accountability. With midterm elections around the corner, many incumbents are counting on their constituents overlooking or forgetting what they did in office. That’s why we will soon publish our Texas Legislative Scorecard - a detailed review of how members of the 89th Texas Legislature voted on key environmental issues, including clean energy, water protection, and community resilience. (Sign up to receive it first here).
Knowledge is power, and accountability starts by knowing the score. We’re organizing alongside frontline communities, grassroots organizations, and everyday Texans who care about our collective future. While the people in power hope we forget how they did or didn’t vote each session, they fear us coming together to talk about it even more. They fear the might of organized people because even the deepest corruption can be defeated at the ballotbox.
We know that times are hard and it’s easy to feel hopeless or scared. But Tuesday’s election showed us that we are not alone in our pursuit of a brighter future for Texas and our environment.
It’s time to build a future Texas deserves. And a house is built brick by brick.
We need progressive candidates who connect economic fairness with climate action and a strategy that includes structural changes like redistricting and ballot propositions. The Sierra Club is ready to channel this grassroots momentum into real change in 2026 and beyond.
If you are interested in getting involved in our political work, please reach out to Matt Johnson at matt.johnson@sierraclub.org.