Gina Hinojosa Ends 31 Years of Republican Control in Texas After Ousting Three-Term Governor Greg Abbott

Gina Hinojosa won the Texas governor's race on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, defeating Greg Abbott and ending 31 years of Republican control of the office.

Republicans have held the governorship since 1995, and Abbott entered the contest seeking a fourth term after his first election victory in 2014. He was initially well placed to retain the office, with a campaign that substantially outspent Hinojosa's.

The Democratic state representative from Austin is set to become Texas' first Latina governor. Her victory also marks the first successful Democratic campaign for the governorship since 1990.

Gina Hinojosa Answers Abbott's Campaign Attacks

Abbott's advertising targeted Hinojosa's past support for transgender female athletes and gender-affirming care for minors. He labelled her 'radical.' His campaign advertisements also employed the nickname 'Gender Bender Gina.'

Hinojosa responded by directing attention towards household finances, turning the language of Abbott's criticism into an argument about the priorities of working Texans.

'They want to run an entire campaign saying that I'm too woke. I plan to spend an entire campaign focused on the fact that working people are too broke,' she replied in an advertisement.

'That's the difference. I'm Gina Hinojosa. My pronouns are mom, Texan and soon-to-be governor.'

Her outreach also included Spanish-language town halls and bilingual television advertisements. A fluent Spanish speaker who was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley, Hinojosa sought support from Latino voters, who represent around one-third of the Texas electorate, NBC News noted.

School Funding Drives Hinojosa's Political Career

Hinojosa worked as a civil rights and labour lawyer before she was elected to the state House in 2016. Her interest in elected office grew from efforts to prevent her son's elementary school from closing.

She credited efforts to prevent her son's elementary school from closing because of state budget cuts as the inspiration for her political career. Education subsequently became a central concern in her legislative work and campaign for governor.

During the summer, she pledged that one of her first actions in office would be to dismiss the state's education commissioner. She cited declining student performance across Texas in explaining that proposed action, with education funding and reform among her principal campaign issues.

Data Centres in Hinojosa's Case Against Abbott

Another dispute reached beyond the state's cities into rural communities that had reliably supported Abbott in previous elections. His backing for data centre development created friction with those voters during the campaign.

Texas has more than 500 data centres, the second-highest total of any US state. Their effect on the electricity grid became a focus of scrutiny.

Hinojosa's advertisements accused Abbott of 'doing the bidding of his billionaire donors' and 'selling out Texas' through his support for construction.

Abbott had already retreated from some of his support for further development. In September, he ordered the state to halt approvals for data centre permits while an audit examined their impact on the electricity grid and water resources.

The candidates never debated each other. After criticising Abbott for failing to respond to debate invitations, Hinojosa staged a debate outside the Governor's Mansion in mid-October.