Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday, becoming the first Democrat elected Texas governor in almost four decades. The Texas Tribune reported that Democrats also won every other statewide Republican office and took the Texas House by a comfortable margin.
Nathan Johnson, a Democrat, will serve as attorney general. Vikki Goodwin, a Democrat, was elected lieutenant governor, though the state Senate keeps a Republican majority. Democrats also gained seats on the Texas Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals, and were close to a majority on the State Board of Education. James Talarico won the U.S. Senate seat.
In her victory speech, Hinojosa said voters had delivered a mandate for change. Her campaign declined to make her available for an interview on Wednesday. It said she would announce "next steps" at a news conference Thursday afternoon. During the campaign, she promised to declare a high-cost emergency, suspend state gas and diesel taxes, freeze electricity rates and fire Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath on her first day in office.