Texas Ousts Abbott and Elects Its First Latina Governor

Caption: Gina Hinojosa at an LBJ Presidential Library forum in February 2017. Credit: Jay Godwin / LBJ Library / Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Texas voters defeated three-term Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and elected Democrat Gina Hinojosa on November 3, ending more than three decades without a Democratic governor. Hinojosa will become the state’s first Latina governor, a particularly significant turn in one of the nation’s most populous and politically influential Republican-led states.

Abbott was seeking a fourth term after winning three previous elections by comfortable margins. Hinojosa, a state lawmaker from Austin, began the race with limited national backing and less money than the incumbent, according to Associated Press reporting. Abbott’s campaign spent about $180 million since the prior year, while billionaire Elon Musk contributed heavily to Republican political efforts.

An unexpected challenger gains momentum

Hinojosa based her campaign on affordability, public education, allegations of government corruption and public concern about energy-intensive data centers. She proposed a one-time $1,500 payment for Texas residents drawn from the state’s emergency savings, an idea she described as a refund from government corruption. That campaign pledge is not an enacted payment program and would require subsequent governing decisions.

Abbott depicted his challenger as too progressive for Texas and argued that her approach would lead to higher taxes. Hinojosa worked to separate herself from some of the ideological labels attached to her past legislative positions, instead emphasizing everyday costs and the administration of state government.

The scale of the result became clear when Abbott conceded. He said he had called Hinojosa and offered to assist with the transfer of power. In Austin, Hinojosa told supporters that she had never lost faith in Texas voters, according to AP’s election-night report.

Two statewide victories on one night

Hinojosa’s result was not an isolated statewide win. Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in Texas’ U.S. Senate race, marking the first Democratic Senate victory in the state since 1988. The combination gave Democrats both the governor’s office and a Senate seat in an election that altered Texas’ long-established statewide political pattern.

The governorship had not been held by a Democrat since Ann Richards left office in 1995. The 1994 election had marked the end of that era, and Republican administrations followed for more than three decades. Hinojosa will become only the third woman to hold the office, according to national election coverage.

The new governor will inherit a state with major pending arguments over immigration enforcement, abortion policy, public schools, energy infrastructure and the use of emergency funds. The November 3 election establishes who will lead those debates, while her campaign proposals still face the practical tests of the Texas legislative process.

References: Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeats Greg Abbott in Texas governor race | Live: Democrats stun in Texas 2026 midterm elections