Hinojosa defeats Abbott to win Texas governorship
Hinojosa secured victory on November 3. Abbott conceded and said he would help his successor with the transition. Hinojosa will take office in January 2027 for a four-year term, becoming Texas’ first Democratic governor since Ann Richards left office in 1995.
Hinojosa, an Austin state representative and former school board president, campaigned on household costs and public education. She opposed the state’s private-school voucher program and proposed $1,500 payments to Texas households from the Rainy Day Fund. She also pledged to direct more resources to public schools and replace the education commissioner with an educator.
Abbott, who first took office in 2015, sought a fourth term. He backed the voucher program, which allows households to pay for private schooling with state funds, and highlighted an $8.5 billion public-school funding package he signed in 2025. His affordability agenda included a proposal for voters to decide whether to eliminate homeowners’ school district property taxes, with tighter limits on appraisal increases also proposed.
Early returns had shown Hinojosa ahead, but those results did not include all Election Day votes. More than 7.7 million Texans voted early, a record midterm early-voting rate in modern Texas history. The governor can approve or reject bills, select state officials and influence lawmakers’ agenda.
Texas voters reject Abbott as Hinojosa wins governor’s race
Texas voters have ended Republican control of the governor’s office, choosing Democrat Gina Hinojosa over incumbent Greg Abbott. Hinojosa secured victory on November 3, and Abbott conceded, saying he would help with the transition. Hinojosa takes office in January for a four-year term.
Hinojosa campaigned on the cost of living and a stronger commitment to public schools. She opposed private-school vouchers and promised $1,500 payments to Texas households from the Rainy Day Fund. She also proposed directing more resources to public schools, changing the state’s testing and accountability system and replacing the education commissioner with an educator.
Abbott championed the voucher program, created in 2025, which allows households to pay for private schooling with state funds. He also pointed to an $8.5 billion public-school funding package he signed, including $4.2 billion for raises for teachers and school staff. His property-tax proposal would ask voters whether to eliminate homeowners’ school district taxes, a source of funding for public schools.
Early returns favored Hinojosa, while more than 7.7 million Texans had voted before Election Day. The outcome gives a new governor the power to approve or reject bills, appoint state officials and help shape the legislative agenda. The result marks the return of a Democrat to the office for the first time since Ann Richards left in 1995.
Abbott loses Texas governorship as Hinojosa wins upset
Greg Abbott’s defeat hands the Texas governorship to Democrat Gina Hinojosa, who will take office in January. Hinojosa secured victory on November 3, and Abbott said he would assist with the transition. His loss ends more than three decades of Republican control of the governor’s office.
Abbott had sought another term after taking office in 2015. His campaign highlighted Texas’ economy, property-tax relief and public-school funding, as well as his support for the private-school voucher program created in 2025. He signed an $8.5 billion school funding package that included $4.2 billion for teacher and school staff raises.
Hinojosa campaigned on affordability and public education, opposing vouchers and promising to direct more resources to public schools. Her proposals included $1,500 payments to Texas households from the Rainy Day Fund and a plan to ask voters whether to eliminate homeowners’ school district property taxes. Revenue from those taxes supports public schools, meaning their removal would leave a funding gap to fill.
Early returns showed Hinojosa ahead, though they did not include all Election Day ballots. More than 7.7 million Texans voted early. Hinojosa’s victory puts a Democrat in charge of approving or rejecting legislation, appointing state officials and helping shape the agenda for lawmakers. Her four-year tenure begins in January 2027.
Reported by Houston Public Media, The Texas Tribune, KPRC 2 Click2Houston, ABC News, The Blaze, Breitbart, ABC13 Houston.
