Going into the election, half of voters didn’t know anything about the Democratic statewide candidates. Now, Democrats are going to run the state’s most important agencies.
Politics
Stay informed with The Texas Tribune’s in-depth political coverage, including Texas elections, state government, policy debates, and the leaders shaping the future of the state.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
GOP state senators could emerge as last protectors of party power in Texas
Republican state senators will still hold a majority in the Capitol’s upper chamber. They have the ability to significantly weaken the role of the lieutenant governor.
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Higher Education
Democrats inheriting Texas colleges the GOP overhauled in conservative push
Universities were a political target of Texas Republicans. As Gina Hinojosa and other Democrats prepare for office, here’s a look at the turning point facing college campuses.
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Public Education
Texas Dems vowed seismic education change. Here’s how schools could change for millions of students.
The end to GOP dominance in Texas will likely have major implications for K-12 education policies, including the future of school vouchers and state takeovers.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Rio Grande Valley celebrates daughter Gina Hinojosa’s historic gubernatorial win
Hinojosa’s victory has injected a surge of pride in the South Texas region where the Austin lawmaker was born and raised.
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Health care
Attorney General-elect Nathan Johnson says he won’t sue out-of-state doctors who mail abortion pills to Texas
Current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued multiple out-of-state doctors for illegally mailing abortion pills, which abortion advocates say has chilled access.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Republicans lost ground in rural Texas, adding to historic wipeout
James Talarico ran up the score in the Panhandle, while rural Texans living along the Louisiana border stayed home.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
With Democrats unexpectedly in control, Gina Hinojosa will have more power than she ever imagined
Hinojosa was careful while campaigning not to overpromise what she could deliver, assuming she’d be fighting against GOP majorities. Now she and her Democratic allies will control the government.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Surge in voter turnout in urban, border counties carried Texas blue wave
Meanwhile, rural counties saw the smallest growth in turnout.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
After historic rout, Texas Republicans train fire on Trump, Paxton and each other in search for answers
Many Texas Republicans entered Tuesday’s election having known November as a formality. They ended the night in the political wilderness trying to make sense of what went so wrong.
