--- title: Democrat Gina Hinojosa Ousts Gov. Greg Abbott in Texas description: Hinojosa will become the first Democrat to lead the state in decades, and Texas' first-ever Hispanic governor. canonical: https://time.com/article/2026/11/04/texas-governor-hinojosa-abbott-2026-midterm-elections/ author: Philip Wang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-11-04T05:13:04.299Z article:modified_time: 2026-11-04T05:13:04.558Z article:section: Politics og:title: Democrat Gina Hinojosa Ousts Gov. Greg Abbott in Texas og:description: Hinojosa will become the first Democrat to lead the state in decades, and Texas' first-ever Hispanic governor. og:url: https://time.com/article/2026/11/04/texas-governor-hinojosa-abbott-2026-midterm-elections/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcfd426432eafe72e/6aeaad6122fa53f4d6676d3b/texas-governor-hinojosa-abbott.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: texas-governor-hinojosa-abbott.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Democrat Gina Hinojosa Ousts Gov. Greg Abbott in Texas twitter:description: Hinojosa will become the first Democrat to lead the state in decades, and Texas' first-ever Hispanic governor. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcfd426432eafe72e/6aeaad6122fa53f4d6676d3b/texas-governor-hinojosa-abbott.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Democrat Gina Hinojosa Ousts Gov. Greg Abbott in Texas, Ending Decades of Republican Leadership > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=02883288-f923-4be4-ae8a-1fdaafec8731&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1)  by [Philip Wang](https://time.com/author/philip-wang/)  ## Philip Wang Nov 4, 2026 5:13 AM UTC  Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate, State Rep. Gina Hinojosa waits to speak during a Block Walk midterm campaign rally in San Antonio, Texas, on November 1, 2026. Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate, State Rep. Gina Hinojosa waits to speak during a Block Walk midterm campaign rally in San Antonio, Texas, on November 1, 2026. Brandon Bell—Getty Images  by [Philip Wang](https://time.com/author/philip-wang/)  ## Philip Wang Nov 4, 2026 5:13 AM UTC Republican Texas [Gov. Greg Abbott](https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2024/6965199/greg-abbott/) has been defeated by Democratic gubernatorial candidate and state Gina Hinojosa, a [stunning loss](https://time.com/article/2026/10/06/texas-governor-race-polls-abbott-hinojosa/) that marks the end of a long streak of [GOP leadership ](https://time.com/article/2026/09/17/trump-paxton-talarico-texas-senate/)in the state. Texas has been led by Republican governors since 1995, when George W. Bush defeated then incumbent Democratic [Gov. Ann Richards](https://time.com/archive/6717599/ann-richards-winds-of-change-sweep-the-lone-star-state/). Richards was the last Democrat to win a governor’s race in the state, in 1990. Hinojosa will also become the first Hispanic governor to lead Texas, which hosts the largest Latino population in the United States. The AP called the race for Hinojosa Tuesday night. During a concession speech Tuesday night, Abbott said that he had congratulated Hinojosa and thanked his staff and family for allowing him to become governor for 12 years. “I love our state. It has been an honor to serve it,” Abbott said.  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks to the media after casting his ballot in the midterm elections outside Travis County Community Center in Del Valle, Texas, on October 19, 2026. Sergio Flores—Getty Images The projected victory comes despite Republicans’ significant spending edge in the race. The Texas Tribune[ reported](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/10/27/texas-governor-election-abbott-hinojosa-campaign-finance-fundraising/) that Abbott has outspent Hinojosa nearly eight-to-one: According to campaign finance filings, his campaign dispensed $281 million to Hinojosa’s $36.8 million over the past year, from Hinojosa’s campaign launch on Oct. 15, 2025, to the end of this most recent reporting period. Abbott’s spending this cycle also more than doubles his $131 million outlay over the course his 2022 bid. **Read More:** [_Talarico Wins Texas Senate Race, First Democrat to Win Statewide in More than 30 Years_](https://time.com/article/2026/11/04/talarico-wins-texas-senate-race-first-democrat-to-win-statewide-in-more-than-30-years/) Abbott, who has been governor of Texas for three terms, previously spent more than a decade on the bench in Texas’ judicial system. In 1995, then-Gov. Bush appointed Abbott to the Texas Supreme Court. He was then re-elected twice in the late ’90s. He later served as the state’s attorney general for over a decade beginning in 20022, before running for Texas governor in 2014\. He won the seat that year by over 20 points against state Sen. Wendy Davis. “​​If Greg Abbott, the Governor of Texas, hadn’t become a RINO in the last six months of his Political Life, he wouldn’t have lost,” President Donald Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social following news of Abbott’s loss. “He went back to his original formula, and it wasn’t pretty!” Abbott is just one of a number of Republicans who have suffered defeats on Tuesday amid a wave of Democratic victories in long-red Texas that are sending shockwaves through the political world. In another major upset called not long before Hinojosa’s win, [Democrat James Talarico](https://time.com/article/2026/11/04/talarico-wins-texas-senate-race-first-democrat-to-win-statewide-in-more-than-30-years/) has defeated Trump-endorsed Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the state’s closely watched Senate race, becoming the first Democrat to win a statewide race in Texas in more than 30 years. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/11/04/texas-governor-hinojosa-abbott-2026-midterm-elections/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/11/04/texas-governor-hinojosa-abbott-2026-midterm-elections/"},"headline":"Democrat Gina Hinojosa Ousts Gov. 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