Gina Hinojosa has defeated Gov. Greg Abbott in the Texas governor's race, a stunning outcome that ends three decades of Republican control in Texas and makes her the first Latina to ever lead the state.
"Here's what Texas said today, loud and clear: Your government belongs to you," said Hinojosa in her victory speech. "As your governor, I will never forget it."
At 10:17 p.m., the Associated Press called the race in Hinojosa's favor. She was leading with about 57% of the reported vote to Abbott's 41%.
"It has been the joy of my life to have the opportunity to be the governor of the great state of Texas," Abbott said during his concession speech. "There are still votes to be counted, but mathematically, we are not going to be able to win this election."
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The victory denied Abbott a fourth term and elevated an Austin state representative who built her campaign around public education, household costs and criticism of the state's Republican leadership.
David Crockett, a political science professor at Trinity University, said before the election that a Hinojosa victory "would be perceived as an earthquake" because of Republicans' decades-long dominance in statewide elections.
But he cautioned that a single election wouldn't necessarily signal a lasting partisan shift. Democrats would need to demonstrate they could govern effectively and defend their gains in future elections.
"Can you get reelected or is this a one-off?" Crockett said, describing the challenge a Democratic governor could face.
The challenge of governing
Hinojosa's victory gives Democrats control of the governor's office for the first time since Ann Richards left office in 1995. But how much of her agenda she can accomplish will depend on the makeup of the Texas Legislature.
As governor, Hinojosa will have the power to sign or veto legislation and appoint leaders of state agencies. But major changes to public school funding, property taxes and the state's voucher program would require legislative approval.
Crockett said before the election that a Democratic governor could use vetoes to block legislation and appointments to influence how state policies are carried out. Passing her own agenda, however, would require finding common ground with lawmakers.
"Getting any meaningful legislation through is going to require them to find something they can agree on and that's not going to be easy," he said.
He pointed to public school funding as a possible area for compromise, although Hinojosa's opposition to vouchers could create friction with Republican lawmakers who support the program.
A campaign centered on education and affordability
Abbott, first elected in 2014, will leave office in January after a 12-year governorship marked by conservative policies on immigration, abortion, education and border security.
Education was a central dividing line between the candidates.
Hinojosa, a former Austin school board president, opposes private-school vouchers and state takeovers of local school districts. She has pledged to replace Education Commissioner Mike Morath with an educator, increase public school funding and overhaul the state's testing and accountability system.
Abbott championed the private-school voucher program created in 2025, arguing it gives parents more choices in their children's education. The program allows families to use public funds for private education expenses, with $1 billion allocated for the 2026-27 budget period.
Abbott also signed an $8.5 billion public-school funding package in 2025, including $4.2 billion for teacher and staff raises, along with funding for special education, early learning and school safety.
Both candidates also focused on lowering household costs, particularly property taxes.
Abbott proposed eliminating school district property taxes for homeowners through a constitutional amendment and tightening limits on property appraisal increases. Eliminating those taxes would require replacing a major source of public school funding.
Hinojosa proposed cutting corporate subsidies to help fund property tax relief, along with one-time $1,500 payments to Texas households from the state's Rainy Day Fund.
A victory with national implications
Hinojosa's victory comes as Democrats made gains in other major Texas races, including the U.S. Senate contest, where James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Both Crockett and Nancy Sims, a political science lecturer at the University of Houston, said before the election that the national political environment could influence the governor's race, even with President Donald Trump absent from the ballot.
"If Democrats win in Texas in 2026, it will be because of anger at the federal government and at Donald Trump," Sims told The Texas Newsroom last week.
Sims said Democrats who won would need to address voters' concerns about the economy and public education. Crockett added that sustaining those victories would require demonstrating that Democrats could govern effectively.
Hinojosa will take office in January as the first Democratic governor of Texas in more than three decades. Her next challenge will be turning a historic electoral victory into a governing agenda — and determining how much of the change she promised voters can make it through the Texas Capitol.
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