Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday, ending his bid for a record fourth term. Abbott conceded at 10 p.m. at his results watch party, saying he had called Hinojosa to congratulate her. "I love our state," he said. "It has been an honor to serve it."
Hinojosa campaigned on a promise to revitalize public schools and reduce the influence of corporations and billionaires in state government. The Lufkin Daily News reported that she overcame a spending gap of more than four to one. Abbott had entered the year with over $100 million in campaign cash on hand.
Hinojosa, 52, is a fifth-term state representative from Austin and a labor lawyer. She is a Brownsville native. If she takes office, she will be the first Latina governor of Texas. The state's last female governor, Ann Richards, lost her 1994 reelection bid to George W. Bush. In the U.S. Senate race, James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton.