Texas Elects First Democratic U.S. Senator Since 1988; Hinojosa Projected Over Abbott: What's Called, What Isn't

Quick answer: On election night, Nov. 3, 2026, Democrat James Talarico was projected to win Texas' U.S. Senate seat over Republican Ken Paxton, and Democrat Gina Hinojosa was projected to defeat Gov. Greg Abbott. According to ATX Things' read of the national and local coverage, Talarico's is the first Democratic U.S. Senate win in Texas since 1988, and Hinojosa would be the first Democratic governor since Ann Richards left office in 1995. The numbers are unofficial and still being counted.

NBC News put it in a headline: "Democrat James Talarico turns Texas blue." This is a news story, not an endorsement, and we are keeping the claims exactly as large as the sources make them.

What was called, and by whom?

Two details matter. NBC News said it had not independently projected the governor's race at the time we read its page; its report rested on Abbott's concession, which NBC noted is not an official result. And we did not find an Associated Press call for either race on the pages we read, so we are not claiming one.

How big were the margins?

For the Senate race, NBC's Decision Desk table showed Talarico at 59.2% (4,125,080 votes), Paxton at 39.2% (2,731,396) and Libertarian Ted Brown at 1.6% (110,207), with about 67% of the expected vote in. NBC's own page gave a slightly lower figure in its text, about 64%, so treat the share counted as approximate.

The Texas Secretary of State's results page, when we read it, was behind that. It showed 28% of polling locations reporting as of 10:15 p.m. CT Nov. 3, with Talarico at 53.79% and Paxton at 44.47% (percentages calculated by us from the listed vote counts). The gap between the two sources is timing and how each counts "reporting," not a disagreement about who is ahead. The official page is the one that will change into the record.

For governor, an early KUT/AP figure showed Hinojosa just over 56% and Abbott about 42% at around 9 p.m. CT. We did not find a later vote total we could verify, so we are not printing a final margin.

What about the rest of the statewide ticket?

These races were leading, not called, when we checked. NBC reported the leads as preliminary:

• Lieutenant governor: Vikki Goodwin (D) ahead of Dan Patrick (R), about 14 points
• Attorney general: Nathan Johnson (D) ahead of Mayes Middleton (R), about 15 points
• Comptroller: Sarah Eckhardt (D) ahead of Don Huffines (R), about 15 points
• Land commissioner: Benjamin Flores (D) ahead of Dawn Buckingham (R), about 14 points
• Agriculture commissioner: Clayton Tucker (D) ahead of Nate Sheets (R), about 14 points
• Railroad commissioner: Jon Rosenthal (D) ahead of Bo French (R), about 15 points

A lead in early returns is not a win. In this election more than 7.7 million Texans voted before Election Day, KUT reported, which is over 40% of the state's roughly 19 million registered voters, and percentages can move as more counties report.

Why does this matter beyond the headlines?

The history is the reason it is news. Texas has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1988, NBC reported, and Republicans have held the governor's office since George W. Bush succeeded Richards in January 1995, CBS reported. Hinojosa would also be the third woman to serve as Texas governor, after Richards and Miriam A. Ferguson. State Rep. James Talarico, an Austin Democrat, was the Democratic nominee; Paxton won the Republican runoff in May.

Hinojosa is expected to take office in January 2027, CBS reported.

What should you watch for next?

1. Official results: the Texas Secretary of State's results page (electionresults.sos.state.tx.us) and your county elections office.
2. The remaining statewide races: watch for calls on lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller and the three commissioner races.
3. Our earlier guide: if you voted Tuesday, our Election Day guide covers how Travis County voting worked.

What we have not confirmed

We have not seen an Associated Press race call for either contest. We did not find a final vote total for the governor's race. We have not verified Travis County's local results, and we have not reported from any watch party. The images in this article are AI illustrations, not photographs of the event.

FAQ

Did Texas elect a Democrat to the U.S. Senate?

NBC News projected that Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton on Nov. 3, 2026. NBC reported it is the first Democratic Senate win in Texas since 1988. The count is unofficial until canvassed.

Did Greg Abbott lose?

CBS News projected Gina Hinojosa defeated Abbott, and Abbott conceded in remarks Tuesday night. NBC noted a concession is not an official result and said it had not independently projected the race when we read its page.

Is this the first Democratic governor in decades?

CBS reported Hinojosa would be the first Democrat elected governor of Texas in more than three decades. The last Democrat in the office was Ann Richards, who served from 1991 to 1995.

Are the other statewide races decided?

Not as of our reading. Democrats led in lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller and three other statewide races by roughly 14 to 15 points in early returns, but NBC said those leads were not projected victories.

Sources, read Nov. 3-4, 2026: NBC News, Talarico wins Texas Senate race · NBC DFW live results · CBS Texas, Hinojosa defeats Abbott · KUT statewide results tracker · Texas Secretary of State election results. This desk publishes twice a day, morning and afternoon, on what is happening in Austin: follow @austintexasthings.