Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday, ending his bid for a fourth term. Hinojosa, 52, will be Texas' first Latina governor. The last Democrat to serve as governor was Ann Richards, who lost her 1994 reelection bid to George W. Bush.
Hinojosa campaigned on improving public schools and reducing corporate and billionaire influence in state government. She ran with far less money than Abbott, who had more than $100 million in cash on hand at the start of the year, according to the reporting. Public polls in the summer showed Abbott behind for the first time in any of his campaigns.
Hinojosa is a fifth-term Austin state representative and a labor lawyer from Brownsville. She first won a seat on the Austin ISD school board and later became its president. She has said she plans to fire Education Commissioner Mike Morath on her first day in office. How much she can change state laws will depend on results in the lieutenant governor and Texas House races.