Texas can lead the nation in dementia research | Wednesday, October 08, 2025
A message from The Alzheimer's Association
Axios Austin Partners
Paid content from Axios' advertisers - October 08, 2025

Texas pride shows up in many ways — from dancehalls to cowboy boots and BBQs. This fall, it can also show up in the voting booth to fight for dementia.

 
How Texas can lead in the fight against dementia
 
Close-up of a person wearing blue embroidered cowboy boots and jeans dancing on a wooden floor, with people in casual clothing blurred in the background.
 

This November, Texans will have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lead the charge against Alzheimer's and other dementia with Proposition 14 (Prop 14) on the ballot.

What you need to know: Lawmakers created the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT) this year with bipartisan support. But there's one critical piece left: funding.

  • Prop 14 would allocate $3 billion of state surplus funding, creating the nation's largest state-funded dementia research program.
  • This historic investment will accelerate the search for effective treatments, preventions and cures — positioning Texas at the forefront of the national fight against Alzheimer's.

Why it's important: Dementia is a growing public health crisis in Texas, impacting families, communities and the state's economy.

  • 460,000 Texans live with Alzheimer's.
  • 1.1 million family caregivers serve as unpaid caregivers in the state.
  • $4.3B is the current annual cost of Alzheimer's to the state Medicaid program.

The impact: Texans have a critical opportunity to change the trajectory of the disease for generations to come.

A "YES" vote in November will lead to…