Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Gov. Greg Abbott in the Texas governor's race on Tuesday, Nov. 3, ending more than three decades of Republican control of the office, PBS NewsHour reported.

The Associated Press declared Hinojosa the winner at 11:17 p.m. EST. She will be Texas' first Latina governor and the first Democrat elected to the office since Ann Richards, whose term ran from 1991 to 1995, according to PBS NewsHour.

Abbott conceded on election night, according to the Dallas Morning News. He said he could not mathematically win the election even as votes were still being tallied.

Abbott had campaigned in the area in the final weeks. The Dallas Morning News reported he held a rally at Matt's Rancho Martinez in Allen on Oct. 21.

What it means locally

The governor's race topped a busy Collin County ballot. Voters also rejected all four county bond propositions, according to unofficial results reported by Sachse News.

Collin County Proposition A, for courts and detention facilities, failed with about 62% voting against. Proposition B, for roads and bridges, failed by a slim margin of 5,892 votes. Proposition C, for parks and open space, drew about 53% opposition. Proposition D, for an elections and records facility, failed with about 69% voting against.

Voters also narrowly rejected Collin College's Proposition A, with about 52% opposing the college facilities measure, according to unofficial Collin County results reported at 9:41 p.m. Nov. 3. Results are unofficial until canvassed.

The governor's race

The outcome was an upset. Abbott had served as governor since 2015 and was seeking a fourth term. He won re-election by more than 10 points four years ago, Time reported.

Hinojosa, a five-term state representative from Austin's House District 49, won the Democratic primary on March 3, according to the Austin American-Statesman. She previously served on the Austin Independent School District board and has represented her district in the Texas House since 2017, according to KSAT.

The candidates offered different approaches on issues that affect Collin County households. Abbott campaigned on property tax relief, border security and expanding school choice, according to KSAT. He championed the state's education savings account program, which allows eligible families to use public money for certain private school or homeschool expenses.

Hinojosa centered her campaign on public school funding, affordability and government accountability. She proposed a $1,500 payment to every Texas household, which she called a "corruption tax refund," and called for suspending the state gas tax, according to the Statesman.

What comes next

Hinojosa will serve a four-year term beginning in January 2027, according to KPRC. Major changes to education funding, taxes and other laws would require cooperation from the Republican-controlled Legislature, KSAT reported.

Texas Secretary of State Robert Howden announced a record 19,041,684 registered voters ahead of the election, a 2.2% increase from the November 2024 general election.