Democrat Gina Hinojosa's win in the Texas governor's race was announced on election night. If she takes office, Texas will have its first Democratic governor in more than three decades. Democrats also won the lieutenant governor and attorney general races, and the Texas House has a Democratic majority.
Texas has one of the tightest abortion bans in the country. It allows the procedure only in narrow medical cases, when the mother's life or a major bodily function is at risk. The Texas Senate remains Republican-controlled, with Republicans holding 19 of 31 seats. The story reports that House legislation expanding abortion rights would likely face strong resistance there.
John Seago, president of Texas Right to Life, said he has worked on pro-life legislation for 22 years and that this is the biggest shift he has seen in that time. He said he expects the pro-life movement will face more difficulty in Texas. Abortion rights advocate Kaitlyn Kash said her priority is getting people affected by the state's abortion bans involved in the legislative process.