Who is the Democrat that defeated Texas Gov. Greg Abbott?
Texas Democrat Governor-Elect Gina Hinojosa surprised everyone on Tuesday when she handily won the Texas gubernatorial election. For the first time since 1990, the Lone Star State will have a Democrat governor. Who is Hinojosa?
by Summer Lane | November 9, 2026
In a major upset for the state of Texas, a Democrat won the gubernatorial election last week, ousting longtime Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who spent millions on campaigning, but to no avail.
Gina Hinojosa is 52 years old. She is a state legislator and is largely unknown to the rest of the nation. Her win was a surprise – turning Texas blue along with Democrat James Talarico’s win against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the high-profile Senate race.
Why did Hinojosa win against Abbott? According to PBS, Abbott spent a staggering $180 million since last year on his reelection campaign, while Hinojosa’s spending didn’t even come close.
Hinojosa campaigned aggressively against the widespread rollout of AI data centers – a sentiment that likely made her popular with Texas voters. According to a Gallup poll conducted earlier this year, seven in 10 Americans oppose constructing data centers in their local communities.
According to recent reports, Hinojosa is planning to allow currently permitted data centers in Texas to be built but is pushing for laws regulating the centers so that they don’t drive up local costs for communities.
Of course, as a Democrat, Hinojosa also supports policies that are antithetical to conservative voters in Texas. According to The New York Times, she has opposed a ban on abortion in Texas, and she has supported LGBTQ rights.
It is unknown how Hinojosa will approach border security and immigration. She has criticized Abbott’s immigration security-focused “Operation Lone Star.” She seems to have positioned herself to have a more moderate approach to immigration, and while she has roundly criticized ICE operations in Texas, she hasn’t gone so far as to suggest the agency should be abolished.
As a border state, Hinojosa’s position on border security will be closely watched.
“I am sure that the new governor is going to want to have security at the Texas border,” President Trump said this week. “I’m sure they’ll continue my policy, and if they don’t continue my policy, I will.”
For her part, Hinojosa announced on Thursday that the transfer of power will be “bipartisan.”
“We will have a bipartisan transition, and we will have a bipartisan administration and government in Texas,” she said in a statement.
Photo: Adobe Stock
