State Rep. James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton in the race for U.S. Senate. Former state representative and Austin school board trustee Gina Hinojosa defeated three-term Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. State Rep. Vikki Goodwin unseated Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Sarah Eckhardt, a former state senator and Travis County judge, beat Don Huffines for comptroller.
Former state representative Mark Strama, who has worked on Democratic campaigns, said Texas government has been one-sided for a generation. He said he expects divided government and that leaders will need to compromise. The Texas Senate still favors Republicans, and the story says the Democratic winners are likely to face obstacles in the Capitol.
Hinojosa campaigned against the state's private school voucher program. Eckhardt said she wants to review the program, citing what she called "zero transparency." Goodwin said she would push to increase public school funding in the next legislative session. She also spoke in favor of rolling back data centers and the state's ban on certain THC products. Republicans are considering changes to Senate rules that could reduce the lieutenant governor's power, the story says.