Hinojosa Defeats Abbott in Texas Governor’s Race

Gina Hinojosa defeated Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in the governor’s race, ending the Republican hold on the office and making her the state’s first Latina governor. Abbott conceded Tuesday night, telling supporters he had called Hinojosa to congratulate her. Vote counting was still underway when the race was called, and certified final totals were not included in the election-night reports. The result makes Hinojosa the first Democrat elected governor of Texas since Ann Richards in 1990. Abbott, a Republican who had served as governor since January 2015, was seeking a fourth term. His defeat ends nearly 12 years of Republican control of the governor’s office. Hinojosa, a state representative from Austin, campaigned on public education, teacher pay and household costs. She opposed the state’s school voucher program and criticized corporate influence in government and the expansion of data centers. She also argued that corruption contributed to rising prices and pressure on public schools. Her campaign drew on her work on education issues and her account of entering politics after her son’s school faced possible closure. Abbott’s campaign emphasized affordability, including lowering...