The Muslim Vote in Texas Is Growing, But It Is Not Simple

Every election season brings talk of a "Muslim vote," as though several hundred thousand Texans shared one set of political priorities. Texas Muslims are a real and growing civic constituency. They are not a bloc, and the evidence for treating them as one is weak.

How many, and how uncertain

There is no official count of Muslim voters in Texas, because the census does not ask about religion. The Texas State Historical Association estimates 421,972 Muslims in the state for 2010 ^[1]. A 2025 House concurrent resolution, introduced but not a census, cites about 500,000 Muslims ^[2], and a North Texas Muslim leader cited to Chron an estimate of 500,000 in the Dallas–Fort Worth area alone ^[3]. These figures are not voter counts; they include children and non-citizens, and they use different methods. Our population estimates check explains the differences.

Why it is not a bloc

Nationally, Akbar Ahmed's Brookings study described American Muslims as roughly divided among African Americans, Middle Eastern Muslims and South Asians, with growing numbers of converts, groups that differ markedly in values and outlook ^[4]. In Texas those differences show up at the ballot box: a small-business owner in Sugar Land, a Somali refugee family in Dallas and a Latino convert in Houston may weigh taxes, foreign policy, schools and civil liberties very differently. Some are conservative on social questions and liberal on immigration; others the reverse.

When politics targets the voters

What may push Texas Muslims toward shared concerns is the politics aimed at them. In November 2025 Gov. Greg Abbott designated a major Muslim civil rights group a terrorist organization under state authority ^[5], and state officials spent much of 2025 investigating an unbuilt Muslim housing development; the Houston Chronicle reported the probes had turned up no significant wrongdoing ^[6]. NPR's 2026 reporting found young Texas Muslims describing that pressure alongside a Texas they still call welcoming ^[7]. How voters respond will vary, but civil liberties are likely to be on many minds.

How we cover the vote

Our 2026 Texas Muslim voter guide lays out every statewide race from public records and candidates' own statements, with no endorsements, scores or match percentages; the methodology page explains how records are chosen and checked. That approach follows from the premise of this article: Texas Muslims are capable of deciding for themselves, and they will not all decide the same way. For practical steps, see how to vote in Texas in 2026.