Democrats won both of Texas' top races on Tuesday. State Rep. James Talarico defeated Attorney General Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate, and Gina Hinojosa unseated Gov. Greg Abbott, who was seeking a fourth term. Statewide vote totals were still coming in Tuesday night, and the results stay unofficial until counties and the state complete their canvass.
The Senate race
Talarico takes the seat Republican John Cornyn has held since December 2002. The last Democrat elected to the Senate from Texas was Lloyd Bentsen, who won his final term in 1988 and served until January 1993, according to the Senate's own list of Texas senators.
Every Texas senator since June 1993 has been a Republican.
The contest drew close to $590 million in advertising, which ad tracker AdImpact counted as the most expensive nonpresidential race on record. Talarico, a member of the Texas House, will take office with the new Congress in January.
Abbott concedes the governor's race
Abbott conceded at his election night party at 10 p.m. Central, 8 p.m. Pacific, after calling Hinojosa to congratulate her, The Texas Tribune reported. "I love our state. It has been an honor to serve it," he told supporters.
Hinojosa, 52, will be the first Latina governor of Texas. She will also be the first Democrat in the governor's mansion since Ann Richards, who lost her 1994 reelection race to George W. Bush. Abbott had entered the year with more than $100 million in campaign cash.
