Gina Hinojosa won the Texas governor race on Tuesday, defeating incumbent Greg Abbott. She became the first Democrat to win statewide office in over 30 years and the first Latina governor. "Latinas led the charge," said Maria Teresa Kumar. Her campaign gained momentum as she defined herself to many voters.
Gina Hinojosa seemed to come out of nowhere when she announced her run for Texas governor a year ago.
As a Democratic state lawmaker from Austin, she supported transgender rights and opposed enshrining the state's income tax ban in the Texas Constitution -- causes that kept her little known and far from the state's centers of power.
The well-funded campaign of incumbent Greg Abbott, one of America's most powerful Republicans, refused to say her name even as her campaign gained momentum over the summer, allowing her to define herself to voters on her own terms.
On Tuesday, Ms. Hinojosa denied Mr. Abbott a record-setting fourth term. She became the first Democrat to win statewide office in more than 30 years and the first Latina to be elected governor in Texas.
"Latinas led the charge," said Maria Teresa Kumar, president of Voto Latino, a voter advocacy group. "We saw Latino participation in Texas surpass 2024 number. You don't see that happen."
"The candidates were speaking to the Latino experience. People who voted for Trump said, 'This is not what I voted for,'" said Ms. Kumar, referring to the cost of living and President Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown.
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