Gina Hinojosa has defeated Republican Greg Abbott to become Texas' first Democratic governor in over three decades and the first Latina to hold the office, pledging bipartisan leadership focused on public education and affordability. She is assembling a bipartisan transition team and faces a divided legislature with Democrats controlling the House and Republicans the Senate.
- Hinojosa ended 36 years of Republican control as the first Democrat elected Texas governor since 1990.
- She plans a bipartisan administration prioritizing public education, affordability, and overcoming political divisions.
- Her transition team includes members from both parties, education, and labor sectors.
- Campaign commitments include repealing the private school voucher program, expanding Medicaid, and providing $1,500 payments to households.
- Despite Democratic control of the Texas House, Republicans retain the Senate majority, posing challenges for her legislative agenda.
After Defeating Greg Abbott, Hinojosa Pledges Bipartisan Leadership With a Focus on Public Education and Affordability
Texas Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa is preparing to take office after defeating Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, ending 36 years of Republican control of the governor’s mansion and becoming the first Latina elected to lead the state.
During her first news conference since Tuesday’s election, Hinojosa pledged Thursday to build a bipartisan administration focused on public education, affordability and moving Texas beyond the political divisions that have dominated recent years.
“We are forging a new way forward,” Hinojosa said. “People are tired of the divisions, tired of the fighting, tired of the culture wars.”
The 52-year-old Austin legislator entered the race as an underdog against Abbott, who significantly outraised her and was seeking an unprecedented fourth term. Her victory came amid nationwide Democratic gains, including James Talarico winning Texas’ U.S. Senate race against Republican Ken Paxton.
Hinojosa will become the first Democrat elected Texas governor since Ann Richards won in 1990, marking a historic shift in a state long considered a Republican stronghold.
Hinojosa Names Bipartisan Transition Leadership
The governor-elect’s transition team will be responsible for turning her campaign priorities into a governing agenda ahead of her January inauguration.
Joseph Carlos Madden will serve as executive director, bringing more than two decades of experience in government, nonprofit leadership and public policy. Madden has spent the past eight years assisting Harris County elected officials with transitions and previously held senior positions in the Texas Legislature and Harris County government.
Former Republican state Rep. Ernest Bailes will serve as co-chair. A fifth-generation East Texan, Bailes represented House District 18 from 2017 to 2025. The conservative Republican, rancher and businessman previously opposed Abbott’s private school voucher proposal, an issue central to Hinojosa’s campaign.
(AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Bailes owns agricultural and construction businesses and brings experience representing rural Texas communities.
Ryan Pollock will also serve as co-chair. Pollock is executive director and secretary-treasurer of the Texas State Building and Construction Trades Council, representing construction unions across the state. A licensed journeyman electrician and member of IBEW Local 520, Pollock has worked on workforce development, infrastructure investment and expanding apprenticeship opportunities.
Tamala Barksdale will serve as senior advisor. Barksdale is chief strategy officer at madeXus and previously served as an at-large trustee for Austin Independent School District from 2010 to 2015. She worked alongside Hinojosa on the school board, helping address district finances, property tax rates and state accountability standards.
Hinojosa said the team’s experience reflects her commitment to “putting money in the pocket of Texans, making sure that we have opportunities for good jobs, recruitment for hardworking Texans, and for this to be a transition that truly represents all of Texas.”
Education and Affordability Remain Top Priorities
Hinojosa’s campaign centered on public education, household affordability and concerns over expanding data centers across Texas.
Her political career began in 2012 when she ran for the Austin school board after education funding cuts threatened her son’s campus. She later won election to the Texas House in 2016 and became vice chair of the Texas Legislative Progressive Caucus.
Throughout her gubernatorial campaign, Hinojosa focused heavily on economic issues and public schools rather than the culture wars that have dominated Texas politics.
Among her priorities are repealing the state’s private school voucher program, expanding Medicaid, ending state takeovers of public school districts and providing financial relief to Texas households.
Hinojosa has also pledged to replace Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath, a commitment she previously discussed in an interview with the San Antonio Observer and has repeated throughout her campaign.
“We are forging a new way forward,” Hinojosa said Thursday. “People are tired of the divisions, tired of the fighting, tired of the culture wars.”
A Divided Texas Legislature Awaits
Although Democrats gained control of the Texas House in Tuesday’s election, Republicans will maintain their majority in the state Senate, meaning Hinojosa will need bipartisan cooperation to advance much of her legislative agenda.
The governor-elect said Abbott had been gracious following her victory and committed to helping her prepare to take office in January.
“This is not about being a Democratic administration. I’m not going to be the governor for just Democrats,” Hinojosa said. “I’m going to be the governor for all the people of Texas.”
Democratic state Rep. Christina Morales said her party would continue focusing on the economic and education issues that shaped the election.
“The people who flipped this House didn’t run on culture issues,” Morales said. “They ran on the economy. They ran on the schools.”
Hinojosa’s transition team will continue developing her administration’s priorities over the coming weeks, with additional appointments and policy announcements expected before she takes office in January.
