The November General Election1 ushered in a sweeping shift, ending more than three decades of Republican control of statewide offices.
In the U.S. Senate race, Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton by a margin of about 55% to 43%, marking the first Democratic Senate win from Texas in decades.
Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated three-term Republican Governor Greg Abbott, capturing roughly 52.8% of the vote to Abbott’s 45.7% and becoming the state’s first Democrat governor since Ann Richards.
Democrat gains extended across the statewide ballot. State Representative Vikki Goodwin defeated incumbent Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, while state Senator Nathan Johnson won the Attorney General race over Mayes Middleton. State Senator Sarah Eckhardt defeated appointed Comptroller Don Huffines, giving Democrats control of the state’s top fiscal office. Democrats also prevailed in the Land Commissioner, Agriculture Commissioner, and Railroad Commissioner races.
Average vote totals for the seven Texas constitutional offices: 5.08 million votes (51.9%) for Democrats and 4.51 million votes (46.1%) for Republicans. That means Democrats, on average, defeated Republicans in these statewide races by 570,000 votes, or 5.8%.
Democrats also won multiple seats on the Texas Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals by similar margins.
In the Legislature, Democrats are positioned to take majority control of the Texas House for the first time since 2003, although by what margin is still unclear. Several Texas House races have yet to be called or conceded. Republicans did, however, retain a majority in the Texas Senate, where Republican caucus members could2 be meeting as early as today to decide what rules and procedures might be employed before the passing of the gavel to Democrat Vicki Goodwin in January.
While much ink will be spilled in the coming days and weeks as to the reasons “why” a solidly republican state for decades flipped so far in the opposite direction, one thing is clear: these results reflect voter frustration over issues that affect their pocketbooks and the status quo. Frustration with high property taxes, rising costs of living, and wasteful spending, fraud, and government abuse have been steady for months. Voters’ lack of trust with government performance at the state and national level have also run high. Regardless which party holds power, the practical outcomes for taxpayers and families will depend on whether government spending is restrained, debt is limited, and tax burdens are genuinely reduced rather than merely shifted.
Elections change the names on the doors at the Capitol, but they do not change the fundamental need for oversight. Texans for Fiscal Responsibility’s work of tracking legislation, scoring lawmakers on fiscal responsibility, exposing wasteful spending, and advocating for limited government and taxpayer protections continues without interruption. Holding every elected official accountable, Democrat or Republican, for the impact of their votes on families is as essential today as it was before polls closed on November 3rd.
Texans for Fiscal Responsibility is an independent educational non-profit organization seeking to illuminate the actions of government, educate and equip citizens to effectively advocate for pro-taxpayer and pro-family reforms, and hold lawmakers accountable for their actions.
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