For the first time in 30 years, a Democratic governor was elected in the state of Texas

First Democratic governor elected in Texas in 30 years

In the US midterm elections, Gina Hinojosa became the first Democratic governor of Texas in more than 30 years. She defeated the incumbent Republican, Greg Abbott.

Crucially, her chances had been rated low, as Texas is considered the most populous "red" (Republican) state in the country.

Gina Hinojosa became the first Latina governor of Texas and the first Democrat to hold the office since Ann Richards in the 1990s. As the publication writes, this historic victory ousts one of the country's most prominent Republican governors and a loyal supporter of President Donald Trump, potentially accelerating the state's transformation into a battleground territory.

In Texas, James Talarico also won the US Senate election, defeating Republican Ken Paxton.

According to the publication, Hinojosa's victory proved correct the long-held hopes of Democrats that demographic shifts in the state would alter the balance of political forces. It is also noted that the 52-year-old Hinojosa, who has been a state legislator from a liberal Austin district since 2017, has become a new star for Democrats, even though the national party campaign provided little assistance.

On election night in Austin, Hinojosa told her supporters: "It never bothered me that they doubted me. It bothered me that they doubted us. Texas, I never lost faith in you."

It is noted that entering the race with fewer funds and less name recognition, Hinojosa ran a bold and populist campaign targeting artificial intelligence data centers and corruption to defeat Abbott.

She also proved that money in politics has clear limits, AP writes. Billionaire Elon Musk spent tens of millions of dollars to support Republicans, while "the Abbott campaign spent $180 million since last year with the confidence of easily securing a fourth term."

This unexpected result, coming two years after Trump won the state by a double-digit margin, also clearly illustrates how national-level discontent has dragged Republicans down even in strongholds where Democrats had failed to win for decades.

According to the publication, Hinojosa's administration is likely to usher in sharp political and cultural shifts in the Texas Capitol, which over the past decade passed some of the strictest abortion laws in the country and tightened harsh anti-immigration measures. Her victory gives Democrats a strong veto power, though her executive authority will be tested in a state legislature where Republicans still hold the majority.

Abbott, who first took office in 2015, had won all his previous races by double-digit margins.

Hinojosa launched her campaign last year. She accused Abbott of prioritizing the interests of the wealthy over ordinary people and failing to reduce costs. Abbott, meanwhile, claimed Hinojosa wanted to raise taxes, portraying her as a radical and a threat to the Texan way of life.

One of Hinojosa's initial campaign promises was a one-time $1,500 payment called the "Corruption Tax Refund" to each of the state's nearly 32 million residents. She stated this money would be covered by Texas's rainy day fund.

Hinojosa also capitalized on growing national backlash against data centers, blaming Abbott for allowing the proliferation of energy-guzzling server facilities. In response to public outcry, Abbott imposed a temporary moratorium on approving new data centers.