Texas Election Results 2026: Talarico Beats Paxton for Senate, Hinojosa Unseats Abbott as Democrats Win Texas
Texas voted for a Democratic senator and governor for the first time in decades. How James Talarico beat Ken Paxton and Gina Hinojosa unseated Greg Abbott.
Photo: Farragutful / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pune, 5th November 2026: Texas, the largest Republican-run state in the US for three decades, has elected a Democratic senator and a Democratic governor in the same night. James Talarico defeated Attorney General Ken Paxton for the Senate, and state representative Gina Hinojosa unseated Governor Greg Abbott.
Both names are among the most searched in the US this week, each drawing more than two million Google searches in 48 hours, according to Google Trends.
The results in numbers
- Governor: Hinojosa 57%, Abbott 41%, Libertarian Pat Dixon 1%, with about two-thirds of precincts reporting, according to KPRC Click2Houston. The Associated Press called the race for Hinojosa.
- Senate: Talarico 54%, Paxton 44%, with about 90% of the vote counted, according to ABC News. NBC News projected Talarico the winner.
Hinojosa is the first Democrat elected governor of Texas since Ann Richards in 1990.
Who is James Talarico?
Talarico is a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives. He won an open seat that Republicans had held for decades, defeating Paxton in what had been expected to be one of the closest races in the country.
His win makes him the first Democrat to win a statewide office in Texas in 32 years, according to analysts at Northeastern University.
Why Paxton lost a Republican seat
Analysts quoted by Northeastern University’s news service pointed to candidate quality. Paxton faced corruption allegations for years and was impeached by the Republican-led Texas House in 2023 before being acquitted by the state Senate.
Political scientist Martha Johnson said the night’s results suggested “problems with candidate quality on the Republican side.” Early voting in Texas also surged ahead of polling day.
Who is Gina Hinojosa?
Hinojosa is a Democratic state representative. Her campaign centred on public schools. She opposed the state’s private-school voucher programme and state takeovers of local school districts, while Abbott argued that vouchers gave parents more choice, KUT reported.
Abbott had been governor since 2015 and was seeking a fourth term.
Timeline: how Texas got here
- 1990: Ann Richards is the last Democrat elected governor.
- 1994: George W. Bush defeats Richards, beginning more than 30 years of Republican governors.
- 2023: The Texas House impeaches Paxton; the Senate acquits him.
- 3 November 2026: Texas elects Talarico and Hinojosa.
What changes for Texas
A Democratic governor can veto bills from the Republican-majority legislature, which meets next in January 2027. Expect early clashes over school funding and vouchers, border enforcement and abortion law.
In Washington, Talarico’s seat is one of seven that gave Democrats a Senate majority. See the full US midterm election results and our world news section.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the Texas governor race 2026?
Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Governor Greg Abbott, leading about 57% to 41% when the AP called the race.
Who won the Texas Senate race 2026?
Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton, leading 54% to 44% with about 90% of votes counted.
When did a Democrat last win the Texas governor race?
Ann Richards was the last, elected in 1990. She lost to George W. Bush in 1994.
