Democrats scored historic victories in Texas on Tuesday night, with James Talarico winning the state's closely watched U.S. Senate race and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott conceding his reelection bid to Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa.
Talarico's victory over Republican Ken Paxton marks the first time a Democrat has won a U.S. Senate election in Texas since 1988. Hinojosa's win ends three decades of Republican control of the governor's office.
The results mark a major political shift in a state where Republicans have dominated statewide elections for decades.
Tuesday night's returns come after counties across Texas saw a surge in early voting. More than 7.4 million Texans voted during the state's two week early voting period, according to the latest results from the Texas Secretary of State's Office and the Associated Press. Including mail ballots, more than 7.7 million votes were cast before Election Day — representing over 40% of the state's 19 million registered voters.
Other statewide contests include races for lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, land commissioner, agriculture commissioner and a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission.
Here's where Texas' major statewide races stood Tuesday night:
Texas' U.S. Senate Seat: Talarico breaks Democrats' 32-year losing streak
James Talarico won Texas' closely watched U.S. Senate race Tuesday night, defeating Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, according to the Associated Press.
The victory marks the first time a Democrat has won a U.S. Senate election in Texas since 1988. Speaking to a large crowd of supporters late Tuesday, Talarico declared, "We just took back Texas."
"We just proved that all the money in the world is no match for the people of Texas," Talarico said. "We just showed that a politics of division is no match for a politics of love. And we just sent a message to every billionaire mega donor, every trillionaire mega donor ... power belongs to the people."
In his concession speech, Paxton said he would pray for Talarico's success in representing Texans. He also reflected on his time in public office.
"I've been so blessed to be a part of that and have the opportunity to do the best I could and do good for Texas," Paxton said. "I walk away from this job in a couple months and the best part of it is the memories … and after I'm out of office I'll still have a lot of friends in Texas."
Talarico, a former public school teacher who was first elected to the Texas House in 2018, will succeed Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who has held the seat since 2002.
Paxton has served as Texas attorney general since 2015. The race drew national attention because of its potential implications for control of the U.S. Senate.
Governor: Hinojosa defeats Abbott, ending three decades of GOP control
Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in Texas' gubernatorial election Tuesday night, ending more than three decades of Republican control of the governor's office.
At 10:17 p.m., the Associated Press called the race in Hinojosa's favor. She was leading with about 57% of the reported vote to Abbott's 41%.
"Here's what Texas said today, loud and clear: Your government belongs to you," said Hinojosa in her victory speech. "As your governor, I will never forget it."
Abbott conceded the race Tuesday night after seeking an unprecedented fourth term.
"It has been the joy of my life to have the opportunity to be the governor of the great state of Texas," Abbott said. "There are still votes to be counted, but mathematically, we are not going to be able to win this election."
Hinojosa, an Austin state representative and former Austin school board president, campaigned heavily on public education and the rising cost of living.
Abbott, who was first elected governor in 2014, leaves office after a governorship marked by conservative policies on immigration, abortion, education and border security.
Hinojosa will become the first Democrat elected governor of Texas since Ann Richards in 1990.
Lieutenant governor: Goodwin declares victory as she leads Patrick
Democratic state Rep. Vikki Goodwin declared victory Tuesday night as she held a substantial lead over Republican incumbent Dan Patrick in the race for Texas lieutenant governor.
With an estimated 81% of votes counted, Goodwin had 51.8% of the vote, compared with 45.8% for Patrick, according to the Associated Press.
The Associated Press had not yet called the race as of 11:30 p.m.
Patrick, first elected in 2014, was seeking a fourth term. He has made property tax cuts, private school vouchers and restrictions on abortion and THC products central to his agenda.
Goodwin has campaigned on increasing public school funding and teacher pay, expanding access to health care and repealing the state's abortion ban.
Attorney general: Johnson takes the early lead in race to replace Paxton
Democratic state Sen. Nathan Johnson led Republican state Sen. Mayes Middleton on Tuesday night in the race to become Texas' next attorney general, according to the Associated Press.
Johnson had about 55% of the reported vote, compared with just under 44% for Middleton. Libertarian Tom Oxford had 1.5%.
The winner will succeed Republican Ken Paxton, who has served as attorney general since 2015 and is running for U.S. Senate.
Johnson, a Dallas-area lawmaker, was first elected to the Texas Senate in 2018. Middleton, a former state representative from the Galveston area, has served in the Senate since 2023.
The attorney general serves as Texas' top lawyer, representing the state in civil litigation and overseeing matters including consumer protection and child support enforcement.
Comptroller: Eckhardt claims victory as she leads Huffines
Democratic state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt declared victory Tuesday night as she held a lead over Republican Comptroller Don Huffines, who's seeking a full term after Gov. Greg Abbott appointed him to the office earlier this year.
According to results from the Texas Secretary of State's Office, Eckhardt had 50% of the reported vote, compared with 47% for Huffines. Libertarian V. Alonzo Echavarria-Garza had 1.7%, while Green Party candidate Shehla Faizi had 0.6%.
Huffines, a businessman and former Dallas-area state senator, has described himself as a financial watchdog and campaigned on shifting the comptroller's focus toward greater scrutiny of government spending.
At Abbott's request, his office has been examining the finances of several public school districts, including Austin, Barbers Hill, El Paso and Prosper ISDs. Eckhardt criticized Huffines during the campaign, arguing that he had overstepped the authority of his office.
The comptroller serves as Texas' chief financial officer, collecting state taxes, overseeing state spending and estimating how much money lawmakers have available when writing the state's two-year budget. The office also administers Texas' new private school voucher program, which received $1 billion in initial funding.
Republicans have held the comptroller's office since 1998.
Railroad commissioner: Rosenthal leads in Texas' oil and gas race
Democratic state Rep. Jon Rosenthal held a substantial lead Tuesday night over Republican Bo French in the race for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, according to the Associated Press.
Rosenthal had about 55% of the reported vote, compared with 43% for French. Libertarian Arthur DiBianca had 1.7%.
Despite its name, the Texas Railroad Commission has little to do with railroads. Instead, the agency regulates the state's oil and gas industry, making it one of the most consequential energy regulators in the country.
French defeated incumbent Republican Commissioner Jim Wright in the GOP primary runoff. Rosenthal, a Democratic state representative from the Houston area, is a former oilfield engineer.
The commission oversees oil and gas drilling, pipeline safety and the plugging of abandoned wells. Its decisions affect an industry central to Texas' economy and have implications for environmental protection and public safety.
Agriculture commissioner: Tucker leads the herd
Democrat Clayton Tucker moved ahead of Republican Nate Sheets Tuesday night in the race to become Texas' next agriculture commissioner.
According to results from the Texas Secretary of State's Office, Tucker had 51% of the reported vote, compared with about 47% for Sheets. Libertarian Austin R. Kelly had 1.7%.
The winner will succeed Republican Sid Miller, who has served as agriculture commissioner since 2015.
Land commissioner: Flores takes the lead over Buckingham
Democrat Benjamin Flores moved ahead of Republican incumbent Dawn Buckingham in the race for Texas land commissioner.
According to results from the Texas Secretary of State's Office, Flores had about 51% of the reported vote, compared with 47% for Buckingham. Libertarian Neill Snider had 1.4%.
Buckingham, a former state senator, was first elected land commissioner in 2022, becoming the first woman to hold the office.
The Texas General Land Office manages roughly 13 million acres of state land, generating revenue for public schools through the Permanent School Fund. The agency also oversees disaster recovery programs, manages veterans' services and operates the Alamo.
Additional reporting for this story was provided by The Texas Newsroom's Blaise Gainey and Rachel Osier Lindley, Andrew Schneider and Natalie Weber of Houston Public Media, Texas Standard's Michael Marks, Brian Kirkpatrick of Texas Public Radio, and KERA's Caroline Love, James Hartley and Bill Zeeble.
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