Gina Hinojosa defeats Greg Abbott in historic Texas election as Democrats make midterm gains

Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday, Nov. 3, ending more than three decades of Republican control of the Texas governor’s office and making history as the state’s first Latina governor.

Abbott conceded at approximately 10 p.m. Central time. He had sought a record fourth term after serving as governor since 2015.

“I love our state. It has been an honor to serve it,” Abbott told supporters during his concession speech. “Together, we’ve accomplished a lot.”

Hinojosa, a 52-year-old state representative from Austin, will become the first Democrat to occupy the governor’s mansion since Ann Richards left office in 1995. Her campaign focused on affordability, public education, government accountability and opposition to the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence data centers.

During a September appearance at The Texas Tribune Festival, Hinojosa framed the contest around economic inequality, asking, “Is this going to be a Texas that is by and for the people, or is this the billionaires’ world and we just live here?”

The governor’s race was part of a broader Democratic surge across the country. Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in Texas’ U.S. Senate race, helping his party flip the seat and reclaim control of the Senate. The Associated Press reported that Democrats also captured several Republican-held Senate seats, including contests in Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, South Carolina and North Carolina.

Control of the U.S. House remained too close for the AP to call in its latest report, although Democrats had flipped seven seats. They needed a net gain of three seats to secure a majority.

President Donald Trump responded to the Republican setbacks in a post on Truth Social Tuesday night. “I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!” he wrote.

Hinojosa’s victory gives Democrats the governor’s office, but Republicans retain a majority in the Texas Legislature. That division could limit her ability to advance major legislation, although she will have the power to veto bills and make executive appointments.

The results mark a significant change in Texas politics and give Democrats a stronger position in Washington as they prepare to challenge the Trump administration during the final two years of his presidency.