Democrat Gina Hinojosa triumphed over Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) in a shocking flip for the Texas gubernatorial seat.
Hinojosa won 57% of the vote compared to Abbott’s 41.7%%, as of 11:17 p.m., with 67% of the votes counted.
Having served in Austin for 12 years already, Abbott was the country’s longest-serving governor. Hinojosa’s victory was declared shortly after Democrat James Talarico succeeded against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Senate race.
Hinojosa started the year with under $1 million on hand, compared to Abbott’s staggering $105.7 million. She gained ground in the final months of the campaign, trailing Abbott by 5 percentage points or less in most surveys by the start of October.
READ THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER’S COVERAGE OF THE 2026 MIDTERM ELECTIONS
At the time, Abbott dismissed the possibility that his opponent could win the race in a surprise win for Democrats.
“Polls don’t win elections, and polls are often wrong,” the governor said at a campaign stop in Gainesville, Texas, in late September. “What I’m confident about is exactly where my campaign stands and the outcome — that I’m going to win this race.”
