# Who really controls Greg Abbott?

> Texas governor Greg Abbott's education war is funded by Christian billionaires to create a theocratic state.
- Title: Who really controls Greg Abbott? · Salon | Shortify
- Summary: Texas governor Greg Abbott's education war is funded by Christian billionaires to create a theocratic state. Texas governor Greg Abbott faces re-election…
- Keywords: greg abbott, texas, public education, christian nationalism, tim dun, farris wilks, dan wilks, republican, education policy, vouchers, christian theocracy, texas politics
- Source: Salon — https://salon.com/2026/10/13/who-really-controls-greg-abbott
- Author: Amanda Marcotte
- Published: 2026-10-13T10:45:26+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: greg abbott, texas, public education, christian nationalism, tim dun, farris wilks, dan wilks, republican, education policy, vouchers, christian theocracy, texas politics
## Greg Abbott's re-election worries
Texas governor Greg Abbott faces re-election challenges after polls show his Democratic opponent, state rep gina hinojosa, is closing in.
## Abbott shifts on data centers
Abbott recently reversed his position on data centers after they grew increasingly unpopular with voters.
## Abbott's education war
Abbott has maintained his all-out war on public education despite growing criticism and opposition.
## Underfunded schools
Texas schools are wildly underfunded with hundreds reducing students to four days a week.
## Voucher program
Abbott signed a voucher program paying parents to take kids out of public schools into unregulated alternatives.
## Donor influence
Three powerful texas billionaires fund Abbott's education policies through christian nationalist donations.
## Tim Dunn's influence
Tim Dunn, a texas oil billionaire, founded a school with anti-science biblical literalism curriculum.
## Farris and Dan Wilks
Farris and Dan Wilks, oil billionaires, preach far-right christian views and support theocratic education policies.
## University censorship
Texas universities have been forced to eliminate majors in african studies, mexican american studies, and women's studies.
## Public backlash
Only 33% of texans approve of Abbott's performance on education according to a june 2026 poll.
## Republican backlash
Some lifelong republican leaders are announcing they will vote for democrats for the first time ever.
## Theocratic goals
Abbott's donors aim to turn texas into a far-right christian theocracy by undermining public education.
## Key takeaway

Texas governor Greg Abbott faces re-election challenges from his Christian nationalist donors who fund his education policies to undermine public schools.