Gina Hinojosa has pulled off a historic upset…

In one of the most stunning defeats of election night, the 52-year-old Mexican American Democratic politician and lawyer defeated incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in Texas, making her the first Latina to lead the state and the first Democratic governor since 1990.

Hinojosa, a five-term Austin lawmaker, was considered a longshot candidate against Abbott, a three-term incumbent who has never won reelection by fewer than 11 points.

Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan organization that analyzes elections, rated the race as “lean Republican” as of October 1.

“Tonight, I make a solemn promise to every single Texan. Whether you voted for me or Governor Abbott, or felt so betrayed by a broken politics that you did not vote at all,” Hinojosa said in a post on X. “Hear what Texas said today, loud and clear: Your government belongs to you. And as your governor, I will never forget it. There will be no special set of rules for the wealthy and powerful. No looking the other way when someone in my own party does wrong. The trust you have placed in me tonight is not a blank check. It is a sacred responsibility. And I intend to earn it every single day.”

Hinojosa, who was born in McAllen, Texas, a city near the U.S.-Mexico border and raised in Brownsville, a city at the southernmost tip of the state, is part of an influential Democratic family. Her father, Gilberto Hinojosa, served as chair of the state’s Democratic Party from 2012 to 2025.

At 10:17 p.m., the Associated Press called the race in Hinojosa’s favor. With about 5,200 of 5,300 polling places reporting results at 7:15 a.m. on Wednesday, she led with nearly 53% of the vote, according to the Texas Secretary of State.

Hinojosa’s victory gives Democrats control of the governor’s office for the first time since Ann Richards left office in 1995.

Overall, Democrats had huge wins in the Lone Star State, a Republican stronghold that hadn’t elected a Democrat to statewide office in roughy 30 years.

Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, flipping the state’s U.S. Senate seat.

For years, the Democratic Party hoped the state would go into play as it became more diverse.

Hinojosa will take office in January. Her next challenge will be turning a historic electoral victory into a governing agenda — and determining how much of the change she promised voters can make it through the Texas Capitol.