Democrat Gina Hinojosa wins race for Texas governor, ousting Greg Abbott

Texas Democrat Gina Hinojosa, here seen at a rally Oct. 25th in Weslaco, Texas, will be the first Democratic Texas governor since Ann Richards, who left office in 1995. Michael Gonzalez/AP hide caption

Michael Gonzalez/AP

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Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott ending more than three decades of Republican control of the Texas governor's office, according to a race call by the Associated Press.

The victory denies Abbott a fourth term and elevates an Austin state representative who built her campaign around public education, household costs and criticism of the state's Republican leadership.

When Hinojosa, 52, takes office in January 2027 she will be the first Latina sworn in to serve as Texas governor and the first Democratic governor since Ann Richards, who left office in 1995.

A former Austin school board president who grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, Hinojoas built her campaign around public education and household costs.

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She opposed the private-school voucher program championed by Abbott that began in 2026 with $1 billion in tax money for students attending private schools. She pledged to replace Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, a software developer and investor, with an educator.

Abbott, 68, promised to lower property taxes in the state and said he had made Texas safer, in part by securing the border.

David Crockett, a political science professor at Trinity University in San Antonio, said before the election that a win by Hinojosa "would be perceived as an earthquake" after decades of Republican statewide victories.

But she'll likely face a Republican-led legislature. "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," Crockett said.

Nancy Sims, a political science lecturer at the University of Houston, said before Election Day that a Democratic breakthrough would reflect frustration with Washington.

"If Democrats win in Texas in 2026, it will be because of anger at the federal government and at Donald Trump," she said.