GA
Greg Abbott
RepublicanGovernor of Texas| Age | 68 (b. 1957-11-13) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2015-01-01 (~11 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White (English descent) |
| Religion | Roman Catholic (convert; raised in a non-Catholic Christian household, converted to Catholicism around the time of his 1981 marriage) |
| Education | B.B.A. in Finance, University of Texas at Austin (1981); J.D., Vanderbilt University Law School (1984) |
| Prior occupation | Attorney (private practice at Butler & Binion); state trial judge, 129th District Court (Harris County) |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Wichita Falls, Texas |
| Marital status | Married — Cecilia Phalen Abbott |
| Children | 1 |
| Residence | Austin, Texas (Texas Governor's Mansion) |
| Notable relatives | Wife Cecilia Phalen Abbott is the first Hispanic First Lady of Texas (granddaughter of Mexican immigrants); no relatives in elected political office |
Pending research: languages · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 1996 |
| Previous offices | Justice, Supreme Court of Texas (1996-2001; appointed by Gov. George W. Bush, then elected) · Attorney General of Texas (2002-2015) · Judge, 129th District Court of Texas, Harris County (1992-1995) |
| Leadership | Governor of Texas (2015-present) · Chair, Republican Governors Association (2019-2020) · Chair, State Preservation Board (ex officio as Governor) |
| Ideology | Conservative Republican; consistently ranked among the more conservative U.S. governors on immigration, gun, abortion and education policy |
| Signature legislation | Texas Heartbeat Act / SB 8 - six-week abortion ban (2021) · Permitless (constitutional) carry of handguns - HB 1927 (2021) · Operation Lone Star border security initiative (2021) · SB 4 - making illegal entry into Texas a state crime (2023) · SB 17 - prohibiting DEI offices at public universities (2023) · Education savings accounts / school voucher program (2025) · Campus carry (SB 11) and open carry (HB 910) (2015) |
Financial
Net worth: estimate
| Structured settlement annuity from 1984 personal-injury lawsuit (tax-free guaranteed monthly income plus periodic lump sums, increasing ~4% annually); total settlement reported around $8-10 million | other · $8,000,000–$10,000,000 · 1986 |
Top donors: Jeff Yass (Susquehanna co-founder; school-voucher advocate) ($6 million (Dec 2023, reported largest single donation in Texas history) plus $4 million (April 2024)) · Javaid Anwar (Midland oil executive, Midland Energy) ($1.6 million+ (late 2023)) · Kelcy Warren (Energy Transfer Partners) ($1 million (2021)) · Miriam Adelson (casino magnate) ($1 million) · Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys owner) ($500,000)
Top industries: Oil & gas / energy · Securities & investment / finance · Real estate · Lawyers / law firms
Scandals & crimes ledger
No recorded incidents. Under the adjudicated-only methodology, an entry appears only when a court or official body has formally acted and the record is cited.