Democrats won statewide offices in Texas for the first time in 32 years Tuesday.
Governor
Democrat Gina Hinojosa unseated incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in Tuesday’s election. Hinojosa currently serves as a state representative.
The governor serves as the chief executive of the state, responsible for directing state policy, signing or vetoing legislation, and commanding the state’s military forces.
Lieutenant Governor
Democrat Vikki Goodwin will serve as the state’s lieutenant governor, beating her Republican opponent and incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Goodwin has been representing the 47th District in the Texas House since 2018. As lieutenant governor, Goodwin will preside over the Texas Senate.
Attorney General
Democrat Nathan Johnson has defeated Republican Mayes Middleton in the race for Texas attorney general. Johnson, who has been a state senator since 2018, will replace Ken Paxton as attorney general, who ran for U.S. Senate.
As attorney general, Johnson will serve as the state’s chief law enforcement officer, responsible for defending the Texas Constitution and state laws, representing state agencies in court, and issuing formal legal opinions to state officials.
Comptroller
Democrat State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt of Austin defeated Republican Comptroller Don Huffines, who was appointed to the position on August 1 and immediately went to work targeting wasteful government spending, fraud, and corruption.
Eckhardt, who has held political office for more than 20 years, also ran on a platform of fighting government corruption as well as attacking school choice, promoting Medicaid expansion, and ending Republicans’ “one-party rule.”
A special election will be called to fill the remainder of Eckhardt’s term in the Senate.
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts serves as the state’s chief financial officer, tax collector, chief accountant, and revenue estimator. Responsible for managing Texas’ multi-billion-dollar finances, the comptroller estimates the state’s available revenue to set the legal spending limit for the biennial legislative budget.
The agency is also tasked with collecting state and local taxes, managing statewide purchasing contracts, overseeing central payroll, and administering state programs ranging from broadband development to the state’s unclaimed property fund.
Land Commissioner
Democrat Benjamin Flores was elected to serve as the state’s land commissioner, beating incumbent Commissioner Dawn Buckingham. Flores has been serving as a city councilman in Bay City.
The Texas Land Commissioner heads the Texas General Land Office (GLO), managing millions of acres of state-owned land and mineral rights to maximize revenue for public education through the Permanent School Fund. The commissioner also administers federal disaster recovery funds and oversees historic landmarks such as the Alamo.
Agriculture Commissioner
Democrat Clayton Tucker has overtaken Republican Nate Sheets in the race for Texas Agriculture Commissioner.
Tucker replaces Republican Sid Miller, who was ousted in the Republican primary by Sheets.
The Texas Agriculture Commissioner heads the Texas Department of Agriculture, serving as both the chief regulator of the state’s multi-billion dollar agricultural industry and a frontline consumer advocate. The commissioner also administers federal school nutrition and lunch programs across Texas.
Railroad Commission
Democrat Jon Rosenthal defeated Republican Bo French in the race to serve on the state’s Railroad Commission, an agency that oversees the oil and gas industry, by a margin of 53 to 45 as of publication.
Rosenthal will replace outgoing Republican Commissioner Jim Wright, whom French defeated in the May Republican primary runoff.
Rosenthal will be the sole Democrat on the commission, with Republican Railroad Commissioners Christi Craddick and Wayne Christian already in office.
Erin Anderson, Robert Montoya, Addie Hovland, Hunter Burney, and Amanda Lindberg contributed to this report.
