2026 midterms: Texas flips as Gina Hinojosa wins the governorship and James Talarico a Senate seat

Democrats won Texas's two top races in the midterm elections on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Gina Hinojosa, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, defeated incumbent Governor Greg Abbott to become the first Latina elected governor of the state, a post Republicans had held since 1994, AFP and the EFE news agency report. James Talarico, 37, defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton for the Senate seat on the ballot. According to EFE, he is the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Texas since 1988. Donald Trump carried the state by more than ten points in 2024, France 24 notes.

"This victory is yours," Gina Hinojosa told supporters after her win, paying tribute to her grandmother, according to AFP. Democrats also won the five closest U.S. House races, all in South Texas, EFE reports. In the 15th District, singer Bobby Pulido defeated Republican Monica De La Cruz.

The Latino vote

According to the Texas Tribune, cited by EFE, the counties with the largest Hispanic populations swung furthest to the left. James Talarico won more than 60% of the vote in Hidalgo, Starr, Zapata and Cameron counties, all of which Donald Trump carried in 2024. Mark Jones, a political scientist at Rice University quoted by EFE, said Trump's unpopularity, the candidacy of Ken Paxton, who faces numerous corruption allegations, and Talarico's campaign created a "perfect storm."

Beto O'Rourke's network

Several Democrats also credit part of the result to Beto O'Rourke, who lost a Senate race in 2018 and a race for governor in 2022. His organization, Powered by People, mobilized voters for James Talarico and other Democrats, NewsNation reports, targeting people who vote infrequently. The group said in August 2024 that it had registered 250,000 Texans since its launch in late 2019, according to Texas Reporter. In a post published on November 4, O'Rourke wrote that its volunteers met 110,000 young voters this cycle, and that Democrats fielded a candidate in all 150 Texas House districts.