DALLAS – State Rep. Gina Hinojosa is projected to become Texas’ next governor after defeating Greg Abbott in the 2026 midterm elections.
Hinojosa, who campaigned primarily on education reform and lowering household costs, will be the state’s first Democratic governor in over three decades.
A victory for Hinojosa
Big picture view:
The high-profile race was watched across the nation, partly due to the political implications for the state.
Polls that came out weeks before early voting began predicted an extremely close race between Hinojosa and the Republican incumbent. Initial precinct counts showed Hinojosa had won over 56% of the vote by 11 p.m.
Abbott’s long tenure over
This ends Abbott’s long tenure as governor. Abbott served three terms, just a few years shy of Gov. Rick Perry’s record 14-year tenure.
He framed his bid for reelection around what he called the “Texas Model,” focusing on lowering taxes, job growth and conservative social policies. Abbott also often attacked his opponent for what he described as “radical” ideas.
He conceded to Hinojosa in a speech Tuesday night.
“After looking at all the details of every county in the entire state, I made the decision to go ahead and call Gina Hinojosa and congratulate her on winning this race for governor of the state of Texas,” Abbott said.
How Hinojosa appealed to voters
Dig deeper:
Hinojosa criticized Abbott for his handling of AI data center development and accused him of driving up everyday costs for Texans, among other things.
Much of her campaign was focused on affordability and improving public education in the state, including plans such as ending the state’s school voucher program and the STARR test.
With her victory, Hinojosa will now have influence over the state’s political landscape for the next four years.
State Representative Gina Hinojosa, a Democrat from Texas and gubernatorial candidate, during a campaign event at The Espee in San Antonio, Texas, US, on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. With the fight for the Senate coming down to the wire, Texas is still top
Hinojosa promises action on day one
What’s next:
On Tuesday night, Hinojosa promised to make changes to Texas’ education system, saying she would fire Commissioner of Education Mike Morath on her first day in office.
“The voters have delivered a mandate for change, and it is change they will get,” she said.
She also noted the significance of a victory in the state and took time to thank her family, campaign staff and Abbott, who she said offered to assist with the transition.
“The nation will look at Texas and say we’ve won something far more important than an election, they will look at Texas and say that faith in government has been restored,” Hinojosa said.
President Trump comments on Texas race
President Donald Trump took to TruthSocial Tuesday night to comment on the governor’s race after visiting the state multiple times to campaign for Republicans.
“If Greg Abbott, the Governor of Texas, hadn’t become a RINO in the last six months of his Political Life, he wouldn’t have lost,” Trump wrote. “He went back to his original formula, and it wasn’t pretty!”
The Source: Results are provided by the Associated Press. Race calls are made by the Associated Press. Information on results comes from the Texas Secretary of State’s Office and are preliminary until certified by that office.