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Texas voters elected Democrats to every statewide executive office on Tuesday, ending a Republican winning streak that began in 1994. In one night, the state chose a Democratic U.S. senator, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, land commissioner, agriculture commissioner, and railroad commissioner, along with all four Texas Supreme Court justices on the ballot. Democrats also flipped the Texas House and will control both chambers of Congress.

Every political or regulatory relationship your organization relies on in Austin and Washington is about to change dramatically.

Bottom Line

  • 32-year streak ends in one night. Republicans had won every statewide race in Texas since 1994. On Tuesday, Democrats won all eight statewide executive races and all four Texas Supreme Court seats on the ballot.
  • A new governor sets the agenda. Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa will be the first Democratic governor since Ann Richards and the first Latina governor in Texas history. She will set emergency items, appoint agency leaders, and hold the line-item veto.
  • A new presiding officer in the Senate. Lt. Gov.-elect Vikki Goodwin defeated Dan Patrick, who has run the Texas Senate since 2015. She will preside over a chamber where Republicans still hold 19 of 31 seats.
  • Democrats flip the Texas House. Democrats flipped 21 Republican-held seats and will hold 83 of 150, their first majority since 2003 and enough to elect a speaker without a single Republican vote. Rep. Senfronia Thompson has launched her campaign for speaker.
  • A Democratic senator in a Democratic Congress. U.S. Senator-elect James Talarico is the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas since 1988. By our count, Democrats will hold 56 Senate seats and about 259 House seats, giving him more power than the senior senator from Texas.

Inside This Report

  1. Results at a Glance
  2. The Big Picture: A Statewide Realignment
  3. Governor: A New Administration in Austin
  4. Texas House: Democrats Flip the Chamber
  5. Texas Senate: A Democrat Presides Over a Republican Majority
  6. U.S. Senate: A Democratic Senator for Texas
  7. U.S. House and Senate: A Democratic Congress
  8. What We Recommend Now

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