Texas Election Results 2026: Live updates on U.S. Senate, gubernatorial and statewide elections

Democrats scored historic victories in Texas Tuesday night, with James Talarico winning the closely watched U.S. Senate race and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott conceding his re-election bid to Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa.

Talarico’s victory over Republican Ken Paxton marks the first time a Democrat has won a U.S. Senate election in Texas since 1988. Hinojosa’s victory ends three decades of Republican control of the governor’s office.

The results mark a major political shift in a state where Republicans have dominated statewide elections for decades.

Tuesday night’s returns come after Texas counties saw a surge in early voting. More than 7.4 million Texans voted during the state’s two weeks of early voting, according to the latest results from the Texas Secretary of State’s Office and The Associated Press. Including mail-in ballots, more than 7.7 million votes were cast before Election Day, representing more than 40 percent of the state’s 19 million registered voters.

Other statewide contests include races for lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, land commissioner, agriculture commissioner and a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission.

Here’s where Texas’ major statewide races were taking place Tuesday night:

US Senate seat in Texas: Talarico ends 32-year Democratic losing streak

Speaking to a large crowd of supporters Tuesday night, Talarico said, “We just took back Texas.

“We just proved that all the money in the world is no match for the people of Texas,” he continued. “We have just shown that a politics of division is no match for a politics of love. And we have just sent a message to every billionaire mega-donor, every billionaire mega-donor…the power belongs to the people.”

Lorianne Willett

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KUT News

In his concession speech, Paxton said he would pray for Talarico’s success in representing the Texans. He also reflected on his time in public service.

“I was fortunate to be a part of this and have the opportunity to do my best and do good for Texas,” Paxton said. “I’ll be leaving this job in a few months, and the best part is the memories…and after I leave office, I’ll still have a lot of friends in Texas.”

Talarico, a former public school teacher who was first elected to the Texas House in 2018, will succeed Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who has held the seat since 2002.

Paxton has served as Texas attorney general since 2015. The race has attracted national attention because of its potential implications for control of the U.S. Senate.

Governor: Hinojosa defeats Abbott, ending three decades of GOP control

“This is what Texas said loud and clear today: Your government is yours,” Hinojosa said during his victory speech. “As governor, I will never forget him.”

Abbott conceded the race Tuesday night after seeking an unprecedented fourth term.

“It has been the joy of my life to have the opportunity to serve as governor of the great state of Texas,” Abbott said. “There are still votes to be counted, but mathematically, we are not going to be able to win this election.”

Hinojosa, a state representative from Austin and former Austin school board president, campaigned on public education and the rising cost of living.

Abbott, who was first elected governor in 2014, is leaving office after a term marked by conservative policies on immigration, abortion, education and border security.

Hinojosa will become the first elected Democratic governor of Texas since Ann Richards in 1990 and the first Latina to lead the state.

Michael Minasi

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KUT News

Lieutenant Governor: Goodwin declares victory as she leads Patrick

Democratic state Rep. Vikki Goodwin declared victory Tuesday night as she held a substantial lead over Republican incumbent Dan Patrick in the race for Texas lieutenant governor.

Goodwin received 51.7 percent of the vote, compared to Patrick’s 45.7 percent, according to the Associated Press.

The Associated Press called the race in his favor at 2 a.m.

Patrick, first elected in 2014, was seeking a fourth term. He has made property tax cuts, private school vouchers, and restrictions on abortion and THC products central to his agenda.

Goodwin campaigned on increasing public school funding and teacher pay, expanding access to health care, and repealing the state’s ban on abortion.

Attorney General: Johnson quickly takes lead in race to replace Paxton

Democratic Sen. Nathan Johnson defeated Republican Sen. Mayes Middleton Tuesday night in the race to become Texas’ next attorney general, according to the Associated Press.

Johnson received about 52.4% of the vote, compared to Middleton’s just under 46%. Libertarian Tom Oxford had 1.7%.

The winner will succeed Paxton, attorney general since 2015 and candidate for the U.S. Senate.

Johnson, a Dallas-area lawmaker, was first elected to the Texas Senate in 2018. Middleton, a former state representative from the Galveston area, has served in the Senate since 2023.

The attorney general is Texas’ top lawyer, representing the state in civil litigation and overseeing issues such as consumer protection and child support enforcement.

Controller: Eckhardt claims victory as she leads Huffines

Democratic Sen. Sarah Eckhardt declared victory Tuesday night as she held a lead over Republican Comptroller Don Huffines, who was seeking a full term after Abbott appointed him to the post earlier this year.

According to results from the Texas Secretary of State’s office, Eckhardt had 50 percent of the vote, compared to Huffines’ 47 percent. Libertarian V. Alonzo Echavarria-Garza had 1.7%, while Green Party candidate Shehla Faizi had 0.6%.

Lorianne Willett

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KUT News

Huffines, a businessman and former state senator from the Dallas area, described himself as a financial watchdog and campaigned for the comptroller to focus more on deeper scrutiny of government spending.

At Abbott’s request, his office examined the finances of several public school districts, including Austin, Barbers Hill, El Paso and Prosper ISD. Eckhardt criticized Huffines during the campaign, arguing that he had exceeded the authority of his office.

The comptroller is Texas’ chief financial officer, collecting state taxes, overseeing state spending and estimating how much money lawmakers have available when writing the state’s biennial budget. The office also administers Texas’ new private school voucher program, which received an initial $1 billion in funding.

Republicans have held the comptrollership since 1998.

Railroad Commissioner: Rosenthal Leads Texas Oil, Gas Race

Democratic state Rep. Jon Rosenthal defeated Republican Bo French in the race for Texas Railroad Commission, according to the Associated Press.

As of 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, Rosenthal held around 53% of the declared votes, compared to 46% for the French. Libertarian Arthur DiBianca had 1.9%.

Despite its name, the Texas Railroad Commission has little to do with railroads. Instead, the agency regulates the state’s oil and gas industry, making it one of the nation’s most important energy regulators.

French defeated incumbent Republican Commissioner Jim Wright in the GOP primary runoff. Rosenthal, a Democratic state representative from the Houston area, is a former petroleum engineer.

The commission oversees oil and gas drilling, pipeline safety and the plugging of abandoned wells. His decisions affect an industry central to the Texas economy and have implications for environmental protection and public safety.

Photos courtesy, left to right, Jon Rosenthal Campaign and Fort Worth Report.

Agriculture Commissioner: Tucker leads the herd

Democrat Clayton Tucker edged out Republican Nate Sheets Tuesday night in the race to become Texas’ next agriculture commissioner.

According to results from the Texas Secretary of State’s office, Tucker had 51 percent of the vote, compared to Sheets’ roughly 47 percent. Libertarian Austin R. Kelly had 2%.

The winner will succeed Republican Sid Miller, agriculture commissioner since 2015.

Land Commissioner: Flores takes lead over Buckingham

Democrat Benjamin Flores edged out Republican incumbent Dawn Buckingham in the race for Texas land commissioner.

According to results from the Texas Secretary of State’s office, Flores received about 51 percent of the vote, compared to Buckingham’s 47 percent. Libertarian Neill Snider had 1.6%.

Buckingham, a former state senator, was first elected land commissioner in 2022, becoming the first woman to hold the position.

The Texas General Land Office manages approximately 13 million acres of state land, generating revenue for public schools through the Permanent School Fund. The agency also oversees disaster recovery programs, manages veterans services and operates Alamo.

Additional reporting on this story was provided by Blaise Gainey and Rachel Osier Lindley of The Texas Newsroom, Andrew Schneider and Natalie Weber of Houston Public Media, Michael Marks of Texas Standard, Brian Kirkpatrick of Texas Public Radio and Caroline Love of KERA, James Hartley and Bill Zeeble.