Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in the Texas gubernatorial race Tuesday, a stunning upset that gives Democrats control of a majority of governorships for the first time since 2010.
Texas was one of three Republican-controlled states that were flipped by the Democrats. Keisha Lance Bottoms won in Georgia and Amy Acton was victorious in Ohio, ending Republican control of those states.
The Democratic victories in those states give Democrats control of at least 27 governorships come January. That number could go higher as several close races in Nevada and Iowa had yet to be called late Tuesday night.
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Ms. Hinojosa’s victory ended more than three decades of Republican control of the Texas governor’s mansion. A former Austin school board president, Ms. Hinojosa is the first Democrat elected governor of Texas since Ann Richards in 1990.
She will also become the first Latina governor of Texas, a historic breakthrough for Democrats in a state President Trump carried by nearly 11 points in 2024.
Ms. Hinojosa campaigned on lowering living costs, strengthening public education and challenging the influence of wealthy corporations in state government. She proposed sending $1,500 payments to Texas households, opposing the state’s private-school voucher program and imposing tougher regulations on data centers.
She also sought to capitalize on dissatisfaction with Mr. Abbott’s lengthy tenure, portraying the three-term incumbent as more responsive to wealthy political donors than ordinary Texans.
Mr. Abbott, a loyal Trump ally who was seeking an unprecedented fourth term, emphasized his record of economic growth, property tax reductions and conservative policies on immigration and education. His campaign spent heavily to portray Ms. Hinojosa as a liberal whose policies would undermine the Texas economy.
Despite defeating his previous three Democratic challengers by double-digit margins, Mr. Abbott faced a more competitive contest this year, with Ms. Hinojosa showing strength in major metropolitan areas and traditionally Republican suburbs.
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