Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in the Texas governor's race on Tuesday, Nov. 3, The Associated Press reported.

The AP declared Hinojosa the winner at 11:17 p.m. EST, according to PBS NewsHour. She will be Texas' first Latina governor and the first Democrat to win the office since 1990.

Abbott conceded Tuesday night at his watch party in Austin, KFOX reported. He told supporters he had called Hinojosa to congratulate her after reviewing results from every county in the state.

"There are still votes to be counted, but mathematically, we're not going to be able to win this election," Abbott said, according to KFOX.

The outcome could reshape education and property tax policy across Fort Bend, Harris and Waller counties. Hinojosa opposes the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program Abbott championed in 2025, which allows families to use public money for private school or homeschool expenses, according to KSAT.

That program is already affecting local districts. Fort Bend ISD saw 8,429 students apply for TEFA accounts for the 2026-27 school year, the third-highest total in the state, Community Impact reported. The district projected enrollment losses of 700 to 1,100 students and a funding hit of $7.8 million to nearly $12 million, according to Jaretha Jordan, Fort Bend ISD deputy superintendent of teaching and learning.

Hinojosa pledged to end the voucher program and replace Education Commissioner Mike Morath with an educator, according to KSAT.

What the race looked like

The win 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.

Fort Bend County was one of the fast-growing suburban counties both parties targeted. Brandon Rottinghaus, a University of Houston political science professor, told Texas Standard before the election that suburban counties like Fort Bend were key.

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 Central Austin district in the Texas House since 2017, according to KSAT.

Policy stakes for Katy-area taxpayers

The candidates offered different approaches to property taxes and household costs. Abbott called for voters to decide whether to eliminate school district property taxes for homeowners through a constitutional amendment, according to Houston Public Media.

Hinojosa 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. She also proposed reducing corporate subsidies to help pay for property tax cuts, according to Houston Public Media.

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

Texas had a record 19,041,684 registered voters ahead of the election, a 2.2% increase from November 2024, according to a news release from Texas Secretary of State Robert Howden. Across the state, 7.7 million voters cast early ballots, the Houston Chronicle reported.