Democrat Gina Hinojosa has defeated Republican Governor Greg Abbott in the Texas gubernatorial race, ending more than three decades of Republican control of the state's highest office.

The victory denies Abbott a fourth term. Hinojosa, 52, an Austin state representative, built her campaign around public education, household costs, and criticism of the state's Republican leadership.

When she takes office in January 2027, Hinojosa will become the first Latina to serve as Texas governor and the first Democrat to hold the office since Ann Richards, who left in 1995.

A former Austin school board president who grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, Hinojosa opposed the private-school voucher program championed by Abbott, which launched in 2026 with $1 billion in public funds for students attending private schools.

She pledged to replace Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, a software developer and investor, with an educator.

Abbott, 68, had campaigned on lowering property taxes and argued he had made Texas safer, citing border security efforts.

Despite the historic win, Hinojosa is expected to face a Republican-led legislature.

David Crockett, a political science professor at Trinity University in San Antonio, said before the election that a Hinojosa victory "would be perceived as an earthquake" after decades of Republican statewide dominance.

He cautioned, however, that governing would be difficult. "Getting any meaningful legislation through is going to require them to find something they can agree on and that's not going to be easy," Crockett said.

Nancy Sims, a political science lecturer at the University of Houston, said before Election Day that a Democratic breakthrough in Texas would reflect broader frustration with Washington.

"If Democrats win in Texas in 2026, it will be because of anger at the federal government and at Donald Trump," she said.