Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa defeated three-term Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on November 3, 2026, becoming the first Latina governor of Texas and ending over 30 years of GOP statewide dominance. Buoyed by backlash against President Donald Trump and local Republican scandals, Democrats swept top executive offices, including the U.S. Senate and Attorney General seats. Hinojosa overcame Abbott's $105.7 million campaign chest by campaigning on public education funding and opposing data center expansion.
Gina Hinojosa's victory in the Texas gubernatorial race
- ▪Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa defeated three-term Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, ending Republican dominance in the Texas governor's office
- ▪With 66% of votes counted on November 3, 2026, Gina Hinojosa led Greg Abbott 57% to 42% in the Texas gubernatorial election
- ▪Greg Abbott conceded the 2026 Texas gubernatorial race to Gina Hinojosa
Gina Hinojosa's campaign platform and positions
- ▪Gina Hinojosa built her gubernatorial campaign around public education funding and promised to replace Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath with an educator
- ▪Gina Hinojosa criticized Greg Abbott during the campaign for supporting the expansion of data centers across Texas
- ▪Gina Hinojosa opposed the $1 billion private-school voucher program championed by Greg Abbott in Texas
Greg Abbott's campaign fundraising and top donors
- ▪Greg Abbott's top donors in late 2025 included oil executive Javaid Anwar, who gave over $1.6 million, and casino magnate Miriam Adelson, who contributed $1 million
- ▪Greg Abbott entered the 2026 campaign cycle with a $105.7 million war chest, outspending Gina Hinojosa by tens of millions of dollars
Texas Republican candidate controversies
- ▪Texas Republican candidates faced public criticism during the 2026 cycle over scandal-plagued U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton and Railroad Commissioner nominee Bo French
- ▪Texas Railroad Commissioner candidate Bo French drew criticism during the 2026 election cycle for racist social media posts
Democratic victories in other Texas statewide races
- ▪Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the 2026 Texas election for the U.S. Senate
- ▪Democrat Nathan Johnson defeated Republican candidate Mayes Middleton in the 2026 Texas election for Attorney General
- ▪Texas Democrats Sarah Eckhardt and Clayton Tucker won elections for state Comptroller and Agriculture Commissioner, respectively, on November 3, 2026
Donald Trump's impact and reaction to Texas election results
- ▪Political consultants described the 2026 Texas election results as a clear repudiation of President Donald Trump's federal policies
- ▪Donald Trump posted claiming Greg Abbott lost the Texas governor's race because Abbott became a 'RINO' in his last six months
The 2026 Ohio governor's race
- ▪In Ohio's 2026 governor's race, Vivek Ramaswamy aired an attack ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother, which drew bipartisan criticism including from Republican Gov. Mike DeWine
- ▪Democrat Amy Acton defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the 2026 Ohio governor's race, becoming Ohio's first female governor
2026 Iowa gubernatorial race
- ▪Democrat Rob Sand defeated Republican businessman Zach Lahn in the 2026 Iowa gubernatorial election
- ▪Democrat Rob Sand won the 2026 Iowa governor's race, becoming the first Democrat elected governor in Iowa since 2006
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