Photo: Stuart Seeger / CC BY 2.0 (2010)
Democrats broke a decades-long Republican grip on Texas statewide elections, winning the governor’s office and a U.S. Senate seat while also capturing the lieutenant governor and attorney general posts, according to The Associated Press, NBC News and CBS News.
The results are a major shift in the country’s most populous Republican stronghold. But they do not mean every Texas race has turned Democratic: other statewide contests remained uncalled in the NBC results reviewed early Wednesday, and Republicans continued to win congressional seats.
For people in Texas, that means new leaders in the state’s most powerful offices for the first time in decades, including the state’s first Latina governor.
The statewide breakthroughs
Governor: Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, ending more than three decades without a Democratic governor. AP reports that Hinojosa will become Texas’ first Latina governor.
U.S. Senate: James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton, flipping a Republican-held seat. AP reports that Texas Democrats had not won a statewide campaign since 1994.
Lieutenant governor: Democrat Vikki Goodwin is projected to defeat Republican incumbent Dan Patrick, according to NBC and CBS. AP also reports that Democrats won the office.
Attorney general: Democrat Nathan Johnson is projected to defeat Republican Mayes Middleton, according to NBC and CBS. The open seat was held by Paxton, who ran for Senate. AP also reports the Democratic win.
Railroad commissioner: NBC and CBS project Democrat Jon Rosenthal to defeat Republican Bo French for a seat on the three-member commission. That is a win for one seat, not a Democratic takeover of the commission: NBC reports Rosenthal will join Republican commissioners Christi Craddick and Wayne Christian.
House gains, with a redrawn map
In Texas’ 15th Congressional District, CBS projects Bobby Pulido to defeat Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz, flipping the seat. Read the JBizNews race report.
In the 23rd District, Katy Padilla Stout won a Republican-held seat against Brandon Herrera. NBC and CBS list her as the projected winner; Herrera also conceded.
Johnny Garcia is projected to win the redrawn 35th District, another Democratic result called by AP, NBC and CBS. Because the district boundaries changed, this report does not label that result a simple flip or hold.
What remains unsettled
NBC’s Texas report still listed the comptroller, agriculture commissioner and land commissioner races as too close to call. Those offices are not counted as Democratic wins here. This report also makes no call on control of either chamber of the Texas Legislature.
The confirmed breakthroughs support describing a major Democratic advance in Texas. They do not by themselves establish a permanent partisan realignment or the outcome of future presidential elections. A media race call is not official election certification.
JBizNews Desk | Austin, Texas
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