Photo: RRC1701, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0). File photo, 2024.
Democrat Gina Hinojosa has defeated Republican Governor Greg Abbott in Texas, the Associated Press called, ending more than three decades of Republican control of the governor's office and making Hinojosa the state's first Latina governor. She will also be the first Democrat to hold the office since Ann Richards left it in 1995.
Abbott, who has held the office since January 2015 and was seeking a fourth term, called Hinojosa on Tuesday night to concede. "After looking at all the details of every county in the entire state, I made the decision to go ahead and call Gina Hinojosa and congratulate her on winning this race for governor of the state of Texas," Abbott said, according to USA TODAY's account of the call. "There are still those to be counted, but mathematically, we're not going to be able to win this election."
A historic first for Texas
Hinojosa, 52, is an Austin state representative who has served in the Texas House since 2017 and previously led the Austin school board. Her victory makes her the first Latina sworn in as Texas governor and the first woman to lead the state since Richards, NPR reported. She is scheduled to take office in January 2027.
The win completes a remarkable night for Texas Democrats. Hours earlier, Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in the Senate race, the first Democratic Senate win in Texas since 1988 — a result already covered on this blog. Together, the two victories give Democrats the top of the Texas ballot for the first time in a generation.
How she won
Hinojosa built her campaign around public education and household costs, according to NPR, running against a governor who had championed the state's school voucher programme and presided over rising living costs. She had trailed Abbott badly in fundraising — The Real Deal reported that Abbott spent $281 million on the race against $36.8 million for Hinojosa — but the national mood on election night, with voters telling exit pollsters that the cost of living was their top concern, overwhelmed the spending gap.
Abbott carried Texas by more than 13 points in the 2024 presidential race for President Donald Trump, The Real Deal noted, a measure of how far the ground shifted in two years. Hinojosa's campaign also drew on organised labour: she was endorsed by the Texas AFL-CIO, and she spoke at the federation's 2024 convention, where the photo above was taken.
What changes in Texas
A Democratic governor changes the balance of power in Austin even though Republicans still hold the state legislature. Hinojosa has promised to push back on the school voucher programme, to focus on public school funding and to address household costs — including a proposed $1,500 rebate for every Texas household, which she campaigned on. She will also hold the veto pen over legislation passed by the Republican-controlled legislature, and she will shape the state's response to federal policies from Washington.
As with all election-night calls, the result remains subject to final tabulation and certification by Texas election officials. But the concession leaves no doubt about the outcome: after 31 years, a Democrat will govern Texas again.
Sources: Associated Press election results and call, November 3, 2026; NPR via WCMU, November 3, 2026; USA TODAY, November 4, 2026; Newsmax, November 3, 2026; The Real Deal, November 4, 2026. Results are projections and remain subject to certification.