Hinojosa, Talarico Swearing-In Dates

Democrats Gina Hinojosa and James Talarico won two of Texas’ biggest races Tuesday, as Hinojosa unseated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Talarico beat Attorney General Ken Paxton to become the state’s first Democrat U.S. senator since 1993.

Talarico will be sworn in at noon Jan. 3, when the new Congress convenes in Washington. First, state officials must certify the final vote and issue his official election certificate, and his six-year term will run through early 2033.

Hinojosa waits a bit longer. The Texas Constitution sets her inauguration for Jan. 19, the third Tuesday of January, when she’ll become the state’s first Latina governor and first Democrat governor since Ann Richards left office in 1995.

Hours after the wins, the pair headed to Whataburger. Talarico posted a photo of them grinning and clinking oversized orange-and-white cups as supporters packed the restaurant, captioned “First stop post-win: Whataburger.”

Democrats Take House, GOP Holds Senate

Texas Democrats took control of the state House in Tuesday’s elections. The win ends a Republican majority that began with the 2002 election and gives Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa allies at the Capitol. 

The latest AP count available Wednesday gave Democrats 76 seats to Republicans’ 61, the bare majority in the 150-member chamber, with 13 races still uncalled. Texas last had a split Legislature in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Republicans kept their 19-12 Senate majority after the AP called the last race in play just before 1 p.m. Wednesday. In that race, District 2, Republican state Sen. Bob Hall beat Democrat Keenen Colbert 51.4% to 48.6%.

Divided control means bills will need bipartisan support. The budget starts in the House, and Hinojosa will hold a veto that takes two-thirds of each chamber to override. Democratic Lt. Gov.-elect Vikki Goodwin will preside over the GOP-led Senate.

Voters Reject School Bonds, Tax Hikes

Texas voters rejected school bonds and tax increases from El Paso to Houston on Tuesday, including all 19 school funding measures on North Texas ballots, where Keller ISD alone sought about $828 million for campus repairs, technology, and turf.

In Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, no proposition topped 37%, sinking a $1.64 billion bond package and a tax increase as the district faces an $80 million deficit. Voters in San Antonio’s Northside ISD rejected the district’s first-ever tax increase, which was tied to 2% staff raises.

El Paso County voters in the Ysleta, Socorro, and Tornillo districts rejected all three tax increases, and Lubbock-Cooper’s measure failed too. Socorro’s would have raised about $49 million a year, and its superintendent said the district must now “consider larger reductions.”

In Central Texas, Robinson ISD voters rejected an $81.2 million bond to replace a junior high built in 1969. It’s the district’s second failed bond since 2025. Temple voters turned down $15 million to replace a century-old community center with structural problems.

Plano voters rejected new taxes tied to a Dallas Stars arena, and Dallas County said no to a $102.9 million tax increase for homelessness programs. 

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➤ Statewide: Democrat Vikki Goodwin unseated Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and will be the first woman to hold the office in Texas history. Patrick, in office since 2015, called it “a fair election” and accepted the result. (More)

➤ Statewide: Dallas Democrat Nathan Johnson won the attorney general’s race over Republican Mayes Middleton, becoming the first Democrat in the job since 1999. He promised a “new era” built on protecting consumers and rooting out corruption. (More)

➤ Statewide: Austin Democrat Sarah Eckhardt defeated acting Comptroller Don Huffines, a Republican, and promised a deep look at the state’s no-bid contracts. She told supporters she’s “the money girl now.” (More)

➤ Statewide: Clayton Tucker, a 35-year-old rancher, declared victory over Republican Nate Sheets and is set to become the first Democrat agriculture commissioner since 1990. His $1.8 billion agency runs school lunches and aids rural hospitals. (Meet Rancher)

➤ Statewide: Houston-area lawmaker Jon Rosenthal becomes the first Democrat elected to the Railroad Commission, which regulates oil and gas, since 1990. He beat Bo French, whom Karl Rove and other Republicans abandoned over posts about South Asian students. (More)

➤ Statewide: Democrats unseated all four Texas Supreme Court justices on the ballot, the party’s first wins there since 1994. The GOP keeps a 5-4 majority. (More)

➤ Houston: The FBI says a viral Election Day post claiming agents found 20,000 fraudulent ballots in a Houston storage locker is false. The photos showed an “FBI Atlanta” vehicle and ballots from San Francisco. (More)

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➤ Former Rangers slugger Mark Teixeira won the race for Texas’ 21st Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating Democrat Kristin Hook. The Republican, who hit 409 career home runs, will succeed Rep. Chip Roy. (More)

➤ Jason Robertson recorded a natural hat trick in a 5-minute and 20-second span of the second period as the Dallas Stars held off the Capitals 6-5 on Tuesday in Washington. (More)

➤ UTSA visits Florida Atlantic tonight for an American Conference college football matchup on ESPN. Before the game, the network’s SportsCenter on Campus will broadcast from outside the Owls’ stadium, a first for the Boca Raton school. (More)

➤ North Texas quarterback Tayven Jackson is the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award’s national Player of the Week after throwing for 404 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-41 win over Florida Atlantic, his fifth 300-yard game this season. (See Honor)

Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | NHL | NBA | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer | NCAA Volleyball

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➤ SpaceX and Tesla shares fell more than 2% Wednesday, even as the broader market rallied, after Democrats won both chambers of Congress and flipped Texas, a result analysts said could bring added scrutiny of Tesla’s self-driving operations and SpaceX’s government contracts. (More)

➤ Site Selection magazine named Texas the top state for business climate for the fourth straight year on Monday. Meanwhile, downtown Dallas is losing AT&T’s headquarters to Plano and faces questions about safety and police staffing. (See Ranking)

➤ Bexar County deputies seized 500 to 600 gaming machines and detained 23 people Wednesday in raids on seven suspected illegal gambling parlors operating as “777.” (More)

➤ WalletHub’s new ranking puts Texas No. 8 overall for jobs, including a No. 2 ranking for economic climate and a No. 25 ranking for job market. Nebraska ranked first overall. Texas added 154,300 jobs in the 12 months ending in September, the most of any state. (More)

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➤ A baby two-toed sloth born Oct. 25 is San Antonio Zoo’s first sloth birth since 2010. Parents Aluna and Sol are part of the zoo’s animal ambassador team. The newborn is bonding with mom out of public view for now. (Meet Sloth)

➤ Menard’s marching band won its third UIL Class 1A state title Tuesday at San Antonio’s Alamodome, beating Knox City by two points. The Yellow Jackets also won in 2021 and 2023 and finished runner-up last year. (See Results)

➤ Houston’s Pancho Claus, the Tex-Mex Santa who gives away about 20,000 toys a year, will retire after 45 years with a Nov. 7 farewell at Ripley House. Creator Richard Reyes, turning 75, cited declining health and an empty GoFundMe. (See Farewell)

➤ A 1900 villa modeled on ancient Pompeii reopened Wednesday in Port Arthur after closing in 2024 for repairs. Built as a winter home for the “Barbed Wire King,” the city’s oldest house offers free tours through Saturday, then by appointment. (See Photos)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ Americans are fed up with tip screens, but what’s the real effect on workers’ paychecks? (Listen Now)

➤ Passengers who paid more than $300,000 for a lifetime at sea have been forced off their cruise ship in Cambodia. (Hear Why)

➤ The scientist who helped create Russia’s Novichok nerve agent, then accused Moscow of using it for state-level hits, has been found dead. (Hear Story)

How do you usually vote on school bonds?

1. Almost always yes
2. Depends on the plan
3. Almost always no
4. I skip them

Yesterday’s Results:

How often do you eat at Texas Roadhouse?

1. Rarely: 50%
2. Few times a year: 30%
3. Never been: 14%
4. I’m a regular: 6%

How many Texans have served as the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury?

Show me the answer