Democrat Gina Hinojosa has won the Texas governor race, ousting Republican Greg Abbott on Tuesday 3 November in one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 US midterms. The Associated Press called the contest for the Austin state representative, who becomes the first Democrat to lead the Lone Star State since Ann Richards left office in 1995.
Abbott, who was chasing a fourth term, conceded the same night.
The numbers in the Texas governor race
With about two-thirds of precincts counted, Hinojosa had just under four million votes, or 57 per cent, against roughly 2.85 million, or 41 per cent, for Abbott, according to AP figures published by KPRC Click2Houston. Libertarian Pat Dixon took about one per cent.
Early returns in the Texas governor race had already pointed to a big swing. Austin public radio station KUT reported Hinojosa ahead by about 13 points with 38 per cent of the vote in, though the race was still uncalled at that stage. All results remain unofficial until certified by the Texas Secretary of State.
Abbott concedes as Trump hits out
In a speech on Tuesday night, Abbott said he would call Hinojosa to congratulate her once he had reviewed county-level results, FOX 4 reported.
Hinojosa told supporters that voters had “delivered a mandate for change”. She said she would sack Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath on her first day in office.
President Donald Trump turned on the outgoing governor on Truth Social, claiming Abbott would have won had he not “become a RINO” (Republican In Name Only) in his final months.
What Hinojosa promised
A former Austin school board president, Hinojosa built her campaign around education and household costs, according to KUT. Her pledges included:
- Opposing the private-school voucher scheme Abbott championed in 2025 and state takeovers of local school districts.
- Cutting corporate subsidies to help pay for property tax relief.
- One-off payments of $1,500 to Texas households, funded from the state’s Rainy Day Fund.
In the Texas governor race, Abbott had campaigned on letting voters decide whether to scrap school district property taxes for homeowners.
A Democratic double in Texas
The governor’s result came on the same night Democrat James Talarico won the state’s US Senate seat. NBC News projected Talarico the winner over Republican Ken Paxton, according to KPRC.
The double defeat in a state that has not elected a Democratic governor in more than three decades formed part of a wider night of losses for Republicans, who also lost control of both chambers of Congress, according to the Associated Press.
Hinojosa will still face a Republican-dominated state legislature, which could limit how much of her programme she can push through.
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Sources: KPRC Click2Houston, FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth, KUT
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