Photo by LBJ Library (public domain)
The Lowdown
Everything is bigger in Texas, including the upsets. Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa has defeated Gov. Greg Abbott, NBC News projects, denying the three-term Republican a record fourth term (NBC News). CBS News and ABC News project the same result, and the AP has called it too (CBS News; ABC7 on X; PBS News on X). Hinojosa will be the first Democrat elected governor of Texas since Ann Richards in 1990, and the state’s first Latina governor (The Texas Tribune). Follow every call in our 2026 midterm election live updates.
Key Takeaways
- CALLED: NBC News, CBS News and ABC News project Hinojosa beats Abbott, and the AP has called the race (NBC News; CBS News; ABC7 on X; PBS News on X).
- With about two-thirds of the expected vote counted, NBC had Hinojosa at 57.1% to Abbott’s 41.7% (NBC News).
- Abbott conceded around 10 p.m. Central (The Texas Tribune).
- HISTORY: the first Democrat elected Texas governor since 1990, the third woman to serve as governor, and the first Latina governor of Texas (The Texas Tribune; CBS News; NBC News).
- She takes office in January 2027 (CBS News).
Gina Hinojosa has defeated Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, to become the state’s first Democratic governor in more than 30 years — and its first Latina governor ever.
— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) November 3, 2026
Breaking: Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Greg Abbott Tuesday, shattering more than three decades of GOP control of the governor’s office.
— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) November 3, 2026
Let’s run through the tape, Texas. If you’re in line by 7pm, stay in line!
— Gina Hinojosa (@GinaHinojosaTX) November 3, 2026
How She Did It
Hinojosa, 52, an Austin state representative who grew up in McAllen, was outspent more than four to one, according to the Texas Tribune (The Texas Tribune; CBS News). A University of Texas poll in August had Abbott up 45% to 40% (CBS News). Election night wasn’t close: NBC News had her up by more than 15 points with about two-thirds of the vote in (NBC News).
She ran on public schools and pocketbook issues instead of the culture war. She promised to end Abbott’s school voucher program, send $1,500 to every Texas household from the state’s savings account and make lawmakers regulate the data centers spreading across the state (The Texas Tribune). Her closing question, “Is this going to be a Texas that is by and for the people, or is this the billionaires’ world and we just live here?”, could double as the theme of the night (The Texas Tribune).
She didn’t win alone. NBC News also projects Democrat James Talarico beat Ken Paxton for Texas’ open Senate seat, so Democrats took both of the state’s top races on the same night. That race and every other call are in our live results chart.
Why It Matters
Republicans have held the Texas governor’s office since January 1995, when George W. Bush took over from Richards (CBS News). Abbott, in office since 2015, could have become the longest-serving governor in state history (NBC News). Instead, Hinojosa becomes the third woman to lead Texas, after Richards and Miriam A. Ferguson (CBS News), and the first Latina in a state where Latinos are the largest group (The Texas Tribune). NBC News and ABC News describe her as Texas’ first Hispanic governor (NBC News; ABC7 on X).
What she can actually get done depends on the rest of the ballot. The lieutenant governor’s race and the Texas House will decide how far her agenda goes in Austin (The Texas Tribune).
The Pit Take
In our opinion, “Texas will never go blue” just joined “the Cubs will never win it all” on the list of famous last words. Every cycle someone swore this was the year, and every cycle it wasn’t. Hinojosa won by talking about schools, grocery bills and data centers, not by trying to out-shout anyone on cable news, and that’s the part other campaigns will copy.
The honeymoon will be short. A Democratic governor in a Republican-built state government is a recipe for vetoes and standoffs, so the voucher fight is just getting started. Tonight, though, belongs to the woman nobody gave a chance a year ago. More politics-meets-culture in Zeitgeist, and the whole night under 2026 Midterms.
The Background
Hinojosa has represented Austin in the Texas House and launched her campaign for governor in October 2025. Abbott was first elected in 2014 after serving as Texas attorney general. For the stars and storylines we were watching coming into the night, see our pop culture guide to the 2026 midterms.
Our photo shows Hinojosa at an LBJ Library forum in Austin in 2017.
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More Context
- NBC News — Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeats Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in upset vote ↗
- NBC News — Texas Governor Election 2026 Live Results ↗
- CBS News — Hinojosa defeats Abbott, makes history as Texas’ first Democratic governor in decades ↗
- Texas Tribune — Democrat Gina Hinojosa topples Greg Abbott to become first Latina governor of Texas ↗
- PBS News — Hinojosa wins, per an AP race call ↗
- ABC7 — ABC News projects Hinojosa defeats Abbott ↗