Hinojosa defeats Abbott to end Texas Democrats' decades-long drought

Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, ending Democrats’ decades-long statewide drought and becoming Texas’ first Latina governor and its first Democratic governor since Ann Richards left office in 1995. Abbott conceded after Hinojosa overcame a major fundraising disadvantage in a state President Donald Trump carried by a wide margin in 2024. Democrat James Talarico also won the U.S. Senate race against Ken Paxton, while Democrats captured the lieutenant governor’s office and made gains elsewhere on the ballot. Hinojosa campaigned on revitalizing public schools, limiting corporate influence and imposing stricter limits on data-center development. The results marked a major political upset and could make Texas more competitive for Democrats.