Democrat Gina Hinojosa won the Texas governor's race on Tuesday, defeating Republican incumbent Greg Abbott. The Associated Press reported that she is the first Democrat elected governor of Texas in more than 30 years and the first Latina to hold the office. She is also the first Democrat to hold the job since Ann Richards in the 1990s.
Hinojosa, 52, has served in the Texas House since 2017, representing a liberal Austin district. She started her campaign last year with little money or name recognition, and the report said she did not have significant support from the national party. During the race she campaigned against artificial intelligence data centers and corruption.
Abbott, who first took office in 2015, had won each of his previous races by double digits. His campaign spent $180 million since last year, according to the report. Republicans still hold a majority in the state House, which will affect how much power Hinojosa has as governor. Her win was also seen as a possible sign of Texas becoming a more competitive battleground state.