Politics

Democrat Gina Hinojosa makes history as first Latina to win Texas governor race, ousting Greg Abbott

By Linda Ikeji 4 November 2026, 8:58 am 0 comments

Democrat Gina Hinojosa has made history after defeating Republican incumbent Greg Abbott in the Texas gubernatorial election, becoming the first Latina woman to be elected governor of the state.

Hinojosa's victory in Tuesday's November 3 election ends Abbott's bid for a fourth consecutive term and marks a major political shift in Texas, which has been governed by Republicans for more than three decades.

The Democratic candidate secured 4,735,948 votes, defeating Republican incumbent Greg Abbott, who polled 4,109,653 votes. Hinojosa won by a margin of 626,295 votes, securing approximately 53.5 per cent of the total votes against Abbott's 46.5 per cent.

“Here’s what Texas said today, loud and clear: Your government belongs to you,” said Hinojosa in her victory speech. “As your governor, I will never forget it.”

When Hinojosa, 52, takes office in January 2027, she will be the first Latina sworn in to serve as Texas governor and the first Democratic governor since Ann Richards, who left office in 1995.