A new Guttmacher Institute study published October 22 in JAMA Network Open shows that tens of thousands of residents in states with abortion bans obtained medication abortions through out-of-state telehealth providers in 2025, bringing fresh attention to Texas laws as voters prepare for the November 3 elections.
A separate Guttmacher Institute analysis estimates that approximately 42,000 Texas residents obtained abortions through telehealth providers operating under other states’ shield laws in 2025, while nearly 23,000 traveled outside Texas for abortions. These are modeled estimates, not a complete official count of abortions or unique pregnancies among Texas residents.
State Rep. James Talarico (D-District 50), the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, supports restoring federal protections for legal abortion and has criticized Texas restrictions. At an October 14 town hall in Fort Worth, he falsely described the state’s abortion ban as extending even to emergencies involving a mother’s life, a characterization examined by The Dallas Express.
The Dallas Express found that state law expressly permits abortions in certain life-threatening medical emergencies, contrary to Talarico’s description of the ban as covering those cases.
His Republican opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, identifies himself as pro-life. His campaign pledges to defend unborn children, and his office has sought to enforce Texas abortion restrictions. The closely contested race has attracted national attention and substantial campaign spending.
In the governor’s contest, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott supports the restrictions he signed into law. Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa has said she would sign legislation repealing the state’s abortion ban, but she has also acknowledged that expanding legal abortion would not be her immediate priority given Republican control of the Legislature.
Texas generally prohibits elective abortions within its borders. Its 2025 Life of the Mother Act clarified when physicians may intervene to address a life-threatening pregnancy complication or a serious risk to a major bodily function. The statute does not create an unrestricted exception.
Texas law does not impose criminal or civil penalties on a pregnant woman under its principal abortion ban. Nor does a woman automatically face Texas criminal charges solely because she travels to another state and obtains an abortion lawfully there.
Senate Bill 33, effective September 1, 2025, restricts governmental spending and transactions that fund or facilitate abortions, including certain travel and logistical support. It does not categorically prohibit private donations to abortion-related organizations. House Bill 7, effective December 4, 2025, authorizes specified civil lawsuits involving abortion-inducing drugs in Texas, but excludes lawsuits against women for obtaining or using those medications.
Previous Dallas Express coverage identified the Tubman Travel Project, founded by the Rev. Erika Ferguson, as a North Texas initiative helping women travel out of state for abortions. Separately, The Dallas Express documented that Talarico’s longtime Austin church publicly listed Planned Parenthood Greater Texas among organizations receiving benevolence support.
The issue extends beyond individual organizations and political candidates.
Congress can pursue nationwide abortion legislation, while the Texas governor and Legislature determine the future of many state abortion restrictions. The outcome of the November elections could influence both.
With early voting underway through October 30 and Election Day approaching on Tuesday, November 3, Texans have an opportunity to examine candidates’ positions and decide who will represent their priorities.
Regardless of political affiliation, voters have a voice in shaping the laws that govern their state and nation. Casting a ballot gives them an opportunity to make that voice heard.
Provided by Dallas Express
