Political arm of designated terror group backs slate of Texas Democrats 

The political arm of a group that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott designated a terrorist organization has backed several Democrats in the Lone Star State ahead of the midterm elections. The group says its aim is to build “Muslim political power.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ advocacy wing, CAIR Action, released a Texas voter guide listing its preferred and endorsed candidates, from the governor’s race to local school board elections. Throughout October, the group issued county-level voter guides across Texas and shared them on social media.

Democrats backed by CAIR Action include Senate nominee James Talarico, gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa, attorney general candidate Nathan Johnson, and Texas House candidates Pooja Sethi and Montserrat Garibay. Talarico, Hinojosa, Johnson and Sethi received “preferred” ratings, while Garibay received a full endorsement. Lieutenant governor candidate Vikki Goodwin also received the group’s endorsement.

CAIR Action’s midterm guide covers 26 states, including Alabama, Delaware and Georgia, though Texas has the longest list of candidates, according to a review by The Dallas Express. The organization has also endorsed Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, who is seeking to become the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate.

Abbott, a Republican who is seeking an unprecedented fourth term, designated CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations in November 2025, describing their motive as “to forcibly impose Sharia law and establish Islam’s ‘mastership of the world.’” 

“These radical extremists are not welcome in our state and are now prohibited from acquiring any real property interest in Texas,” he said in a statement at the time.

CAIR has not been designated a terrorist organization by the federal government, and two of its chapters sued Abbott over the designation. The case remains pending. Asked in August 2025 whether the Trump administration would designate the Muslim Brotherhood or CAIR as terrorist organizations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said “all of that is in the works,” emphasizing the Muslim Brotherhood.

CAIR describes itself as America’s “largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization.” It denounced Abbott’s designation as a “smear campaign” led by an “Israel First politician.”

CAIR Action says on its website that its goal is “building Muslim political power.” Its policy priorities include “ending national security overreach,” “countering racial profiling in law enforcement,” “reforming immigration policies” and “supporting a just and transformative foreign policy.” Under these priorities, the group targets policies involving the FBI watchlist, no-fly lists and alleged “loopholes” that it says allow national security agencies to operate with racial and religious biases.

“We advocate for policies that uphold fundamental values of equality, justice, and inclusivity, we aim to build a more just and equitable global society,” the group’s website states.

Texas had an estimated 313,209 Muslim residents in 2020, about 1% of the state’s population, according to U.S. Religion Census data published by the Association of Religion Data Archives. Muslims’ share of the state’s population roughly doubled, from 0.55% in 2000 to 1.07% in 2020.

Some Texas politicians, including Republican Rep. Keith Self, have opposed what they describe as Islam’s growing influence in the United States. Self is a founding member of the Sharia-Free America Caucus in the U.S. House, which now has 70 members representing 25 states.

On Oct. 5, federal authorities arrested a 17-year-old accused of plotting to kill Self in a terror attack on behalf of ISIS.

(Image credit: Screenshot/Cairaction.org)