Gina Hinojosa Becomes Texas’ First Latina Governor After Defeating Greg Abbott

• Gina Hinojosa will become the first Latina governor of Texas.
• Democrats regain the governorship after more than three decades of Republican control.
• Trump blames Greg Abbott for his election defeat.

Gina Hinojosa, a Mexican American attorney whose political career began with efforts to protect her son's public school, has made history as Texas' first Latina governor-elect after defeating Republican Greg Abbott in the November 3 election.

The Democrat ended more than three decades of Republican control of the governorship in one of the most politically significant states in the United States, according to the EFE news agency.

Hinojosa will also become the third woman to govern Texas, following a campaign centered on public education, the cost of living, and the concerns of working families.

Gina Hinojosa Defeats Greg Abbott by a Wide Margin

According to CNN and NBC projections cited by EFE, Hinojosa secured more than four million votes, representing approximately 57% of the ballots counted when 68% of the vote had been reported.

Abbott, who was seeking a fourth consecutive term, received approximately 41% of the vote, with 2,946,679 ballots in that preliminary count. The margin prompted the Republican governor to publicly concede defeat.

Abbott congratulated Hinojosa and, as she revealed during her victory speech, called to offer his cooperation during the transition of power.

The victory returns the governorship to Democrats for the first time since January 1995, when Ann Richards left office.

Who Is Gina Hinojosa, Texas' First Latina Governor-Elect?

Born in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas in 1973, Hinojosa grew up in a border region with Mexico where Latino communities play a central role in everyday life.

A fluent Spanish speaker, Hinojosa is an attorney specializing in civil and labor rights. She is married and has two children.

Her family has a long history of political involvement. Her father, Gilberto Hinojosa, served as a judge in Cameron County and chaired the Texas Democratic Party for 13 years.

As she told The New York Times, her parents, Gilberto Hinojosa and Crisanta Guerra, began their careers as civil rights attorneys and raised their family with a strong sense of their Mexican American heritage.

However, Hinojosa has emphasized that her initial involvement in politics was not driven by an ambition to hold public office.

From Defending Her Son's School to Becoming Texas Governor

Hinojosa became involved in politics while trying to prevent the closure of the public school her son attended.

That experience led her to participate in school board politics and eventually seek a seat in the Texas House of Representatives.

She was elected to the state legislature in 2016 and began representing an Austin district in 2017, where she advocated policies related to public education.

"I never planned to be a politician. I'm a mother who loves her children, believes in their teachers, and believes in Texas public schools," she said during her victory speech.

Hinojosa explained that her involvement in public life, from the school board to the state legislature, has consistently focused on giving children the "opportunity to succeed."

What Are Gina Hinojosa's Plans for Texas Families?

Throughout her campaign, Hinojosa sought to appeal to voters across the political spectrum with proposals addressing everyday economic concerns.

Her main promises included lowering healthcare costs, reducing electricity bills, and easing the burden of property taxes.

She also proposed stronger oversight of major corporations and private investment, particularly in industries that have raised concerns among Texas communities.

One of her central criticisms of Abbott involved the expansion of data centers, large technology facilities that consume substantial amounts of electricity.

Texas has more than 500 data centers, making it the state with the second-highest number of such facilities in the country, according to EFE.

Hinojosa criticized the expansion's potential impact on the electrical grid, particularly in rural communities, and questioned Abbott's support for major technology companies.

On education, she pledged that one of her first actions would be to remove the state's education commissioner, whom she blamed for declining academic performance.

Immigration and Latino Voters Shape the Texas Governor Election

Immigration policy was another major campaign issue, particularly amid criticism of operations conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Hinojosa questioned the lack of oversight surrounding immigration raids, an issue that has raised concerns among some Latino communities.

To reach these voters, her campaign aired bilingual television advertisements and organized public meetings in Spanish.

According to EFE, Latinos account for approximately 40% of Texas residents and nearly one-third of its electorate.

Katharine Pichardo, CEO of Latino Victory Fund, an organization involved in voter mobilization, described Hinojosa's victory as a "clear message" that Texans "are ready for change."

Gina Hinojosa's Campaign Focused on Corruption and Economic Issues

Hinojosa also made combating corruption a central theme of her gubernatorial campaign.

In October, she filed a lawsuit against Abbott, alleging that Elon Musk was financially supporting his campaign while benefiting from tax incentives and state contracts.

These allegations were made by the Democratic candidate and do not, by themselves, establish that any laws were broken.

The spending disparity between the campaigns was substantial. Abbott spent approximately $281 million, compared with nearly $37 million spent by Hinojosa.

Hinojosa said that 95% of her campaign contributions came from small donors.

After her victory, she said the result had "surprised the world" and thanked Abbott for his 12 years of "service to this great state."

Donald Trump Blames Greg Abbott for Texas Election Defeat

The Republican defeat prompted a public response from President Donald Trump, who blamed Abbott for losing the gubernatorial election.

In a Truth Social post, Trump accused Abbott of becoming a "Republican in name only," or RINO, during the final six months of his political career.

Trump also claimed that Abbott had returned to his "original formula," adding that "it wasn't pretty."

The result coincided with another significant Democratic victory in Texas, where James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in the US Senate race.

Together, the results marked a major change in Texas politics after decades of Republican dominance, as Hinojosa prepares to become the state's first Latina governor.

Sources: EFE news agency, reports from New York and Washington dated November 3, 2026, covering Gina Hinojosa's victory, statements by Hinojosa and Greg Abbott, CNN and NBC election projections, The New York Times interview cited by EFE, and Donald Trump's Truth Social posts.