Gina Hinojosa defeats Greg Abbott in Texas, ending three decades of Republican governors
The state lawmaker beat the three-term Republican governor despite his $100 million campaign. It is the first time a Democrat has won the governor’s office in Texas since 1990.
AUSTIN, Nov 4 – Democrat Gina Hinojosa has beaten Texas Governor Greg Abbott in a stunning upset, ending the Republican Party’s hold on the governor’s office in the state after three decades.
Hinojosa, a member of the Texas House from Austin, will be the first Hispanic person elected to lead the state. She will also be the first Democrat to win the governor’s office in Texas since Ann Richards in 1990.
No Democrat had won any statewide race in Texas since 1994. It was the longest such losing streak for either party in the country.
That streak ended twice on Tuesday night. Earlier in the evening, Democrat James Talarico beat Republican Ken Paxton in the race for the Senate, the Associated Press projected.
Abbott had been governor since 2015. He was seeking a fourth term, which would have been a first in Texas history, and he spent about $100 million to keep his job.
He was one of the best-known and best-funded Republican governors in the country. Few people gave his challenger much of a chance at the start.
In fact, Democrats had at first written off the race. They struggled to find anyone willing to take on Abbott. But the national party pushed this year to field candidates in every race, and Hinojosa stepped in only after no other Democrat would run.
She turned out to be a much tougher opponent than expected. Polls over the summer showed Abbott’s lead shrinking, and by the fall some surveys had the race within a few points.
Her win was part of a wider Democratic sweep in states that Republicans have long controlled. Many voters turned against President Donald Trump over his handling of the economy and the war with Iran.
Prices have kept rising across the country. Gas got more expensive after the United States and Israel attacked Iran in February, and many people also blame Trump’s tariffs on imports.
In Texas, Hispanic voters were a key part of the story. Trump did unusually well with Hispanic voters in 2024. But polls this year showed many of them had turned against him over the economy and his immigration crackdown.
Hispanic and Latino residents make up more than 40 percent of the state’s population.
Democrats also paid close attention this year to races for governor and for state legislatures. That followed an unusual push by Republicans to redraw congressional district lines in the middle of the decade, in Texas and several other states.
Governors and state lawmakers play a large role in drawing electoral district lines. As a result, control of state offices has become increasingly important to both parties.
It was a strong night for Democrats across the country. They won Senate races in Republican-leaning states including Kansas, Iowa, Ohio, and North Carolina, according to projections by the Associated Press. In South Carolina, NBC News and CBS News projected that Democrat Annie Andrews had won a Senate seat.
Democrats were on track to win control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, according to media projections. However, final control of both chambers had not been confirmed early on Wednesday, as votes continued to be counted in several closely contested races.
In Georgia, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms won the race for governor, making history as the first Black woman elected governor of a U.S. state. Her victory was seen as a major milestone for both her party and for representation in American politics.
In Texas, Republicans had warned in the final days of the campaign that they were facing serious trouble. Senator Ted Cruz said on his podcast that his party could lose every statewide race in the state. Democrats had focused their campaign on the cost of living, health care, public education, and concerns about corruption.
Republicans have held the governor’s office in Texas since January 1995, when George W. Bush took over from Ann Richards. Hinojosa’s win would mark a major political shift in one of the country’s largest and most influential states.
Hinojosa is expected to be sworn in as governor in January. Her administration is likely to face immediate pressure to address rising housing costs, property taxes, school funding, and the state’s fast-growing population.
