Democrats Take Control of Texas Legislature After 16 Years of Republican Majority
After Tuesday’s elections in Texas, Democrats have taken control of both chambers of the state legislature after 16 years of Republican majorities, and Gina Hinojosa will be the state’s first Democratic governor since 1990 and its first Latina governor, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.
The victory of Democrat James Talarico, who defeated Republican Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general and a close ally of President Donald Trump, and will become a senator, drew attention across the country. It is the first such success for Democrats in the state since 1988, the newspaper commented.
It noted, however, that Hinojosa’s win is a bigger surprise in “the microcosm that is Texas.” Hinojosa is an attorney who specializes in civil rights and labor cases.
Her deputy will be Democrat Vikki Goodwin. Both women defeated their Republican opponents “effortlessly,” even though just a year earlier they were little-known members of the state legislature.
Americans’ attention will now quickly turn to the start of the presidential campaign ahead of the 2028 election, and many candidates will have their eyes on Texas, which has 40 electoral votes and could change the dynamics of the entire race, the newspaper concluded. (PAP)
