Democrat Gina Hinojosa has won the race for Texas governor, defeating Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, according to The Associated Press. Abbott conceded Tuesday night, ending his bid for a fourth term. Hinojosa would be the first Democratic governor of Texas since 1995.
Abbott told supporters at his Austin watch party that he called Hinojosa to congratulate her after reviewing results from every county. "There are still votes to be counted, but mathematically, we're not going to be able to win this election," he said. He said he told her he would help her team with the transition. As of 10:21 p.m., the AP reported Hinojosa with 57%, or 4,022,000 votes, and Abbott with 41.7%, or 2,946,679 votes.
Hinojosa is a state representative and former Austin school board president. She campaigned on public education and affordability. She has criticized the STAAR test and the state's school voucher program, saying they have failed students and families, and she opposes state takeovers of school districts. Abbott campaigned on border security and affordability and called for voters to decide whether to eliminate school property taxes for homeowners.
In the U.S. Senate race, Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, according to the AP.