Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeats Texas governor Greg Abbott in stunning upset

Hinojosa wins momentous victory, shatters Republican grip on key office and will become state’s first Latina governor

In a stunning political upset that would have seemed improbable only a few weeks ago, Democrat Gina Hinojosa has defeated three-term governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday, shattering the Republican grip on the state’s highest and most powerful executive office.

Hinojosa’s historic victory – she will be the state’s first ever Latina governor – ended Abbott’s bid for an unprecedented fourth term, and delivered Democrats their most consequential victory in the state in a generation.

It was an extraordinary reversal of fortunes for Democrats in the Lone Star state, which has long frustrated the party’s hopes of a political comeback. A Democrat has not won the Texas governor’s mansion since 1990, when voters elected Ann Richards.

But since then, Democrats have struggled to convert a growing urban population and changing demographics into statewide victories. Even high-profile challenges, including by Beto O’Rourke who sought to unseat Abbott in 2022, ended in defeat.

Hinojosa, a five-term state representative from Austin, entered the governor’s race with little fanfare after other prominent Democrats declined to run against Abbott, a staunch ally of Donald Trump with a formidable fundraising operation and record of easily dispatching with his Democratic rivals.

At the outset, Hinojosa’s candidacy was viewed as the longest-of-long shots, overshadowed by the campaign of fellow Democrat James Talarico, which attracted considerably more national attention and enthusiasm. But Hinojosa gradually fought her way into contention, with some polls showing the race neck-in-neck.

A former Austin school board president, Hinojosa has said public education is the issue that drew her into the race, but her campaign widened to focus on affordability issues and her opposition to the expansion of large-scale data centers. Under Abbott, Texas has become a leading state in the nation for data center construction.

Abbott, who maintained a large financial advantage, sought to portray Hinojosa as too “woke” for Texas, attacking her in Trumpian terms as “gender-bender Hinojosa”.

Hinojosa countered the culture-war attacks on her with an ad declaring her pronouns: “Mom, Texan and soon-to-be governor”.

She sought to capitalize on growing frustration with Trump’s presidency, courting traditionally Republican constituencies with a populist economic message.

Hinojosa grew up along the US-Mexico border. Her mother is an immigrant from Mexico, and her father served for several years as the state Democratic party chair. Her sister, Xochitl Hinojosa, is a long-time Democratic operative who previously served as spokesperson for the Department of Justice.

Kaynak: The Guardian · Özgün metin İngilizcedir.