Texas Democrats Secure Control of All Statewide Offices

Democrats flipped every statewide office in Texas on Tuesday night, ending a Republican hold on the state government that had lasted more than three decades. Gina Hinojosa and James Talarico won the governor’s race and the U.S. Senate seat, respectively. Both candidates have deep roots in San Antonio, where Hinojosa’s mother resides in the King William neighborhood and Talarico taught in the local middle school system in 2011. Their victories mark the first time a Latina will serve as Texas governor.

In Washington, Democrats regained control of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate. This shift in power occurred despite Republican efforts to redraw congressional maps in Texas earlier in the year. The redistricting plan was designed to secure at least five additional seats for the GOP. Instead, Democrats flipped two Republican-held districts in the state while holding their own redrawn seats. Katy Padilla Stout defeated Brandon Herrera in the race to replace former Representative Tony Gonzales. Mark Teixeira, a former Major League Baseball player, won a new Bexar County district, while Bobby Pulido defeated Representative Monica De La Cruz.

At the state legislature, Democrats made substantial gains in the Texas House. They flipped two of the three Republican-held seats in Bexar County. Kristian Carranza took Texas House District 118, and Zack Dunn won District 121, a seat that had not elected a Democrat since 1981. The race for District 122 remained too close to call as of 3:43 a.m. Wednesday, with Republicans spending over $500,000 for the incumbent while the Democratic challenger spent $5,600. Adrian Reyna won a seat in District 125 to succeed retiring Representative Ray Lopez.

Ron Nirenberg, the former San Antonio mayor, won the race for Bexar County Judge. He previously led the city and had considered a run for governor before focusing on local leadership. Luz Elena Chapa was elected as the new Bexar County District Attorney, replacing Joe Gonzales. Chapa vowed to restructure the office, which Gonzales has led for eight years. In the judicial branch, Democrat Antonia Arteaga appeared poised to win the chief justice position on the Fourth Court of Appeals, challenging Republican Bert Richardson in a 32-county district.

Voters in San Antonio also addressed local finance and administration. A 20-year extension for Pre-K 4 SA funding passed with strong support. However, four local school districts failed to gain approval for higher tax rates, with a fifth race remaining too close to decide. In nonpartisan races, the Bexar Central Appraisal District board saw a shift toward Democratic candidates. Diana Arévalo won an open seat, and Leticia Anguiano defeated veteran board member Erika Hizel. The city council retains two conservative members, Marc Whyte and Misty Spears.

Across the state, Democrats filled the open Attorney General seat with state Senator Nathan Johnson of Dallas. The party also won the Texas Railroad Commission, defeating Republican Bo French. In Tarrant County, the Republican county judge lost his reelection bid after facing backlash for closing polling locations. State Senator Taylor Rehmet of Tarrant County won his general election race following a special election victory in January that shifted a deep red district by more than 30 points.