Democrats took control of the Texas House in Tuesday’s midterm elections, the first time the party has held the chamber since Republicans won it after the 2002 election. The win capped a night of gains in state governments across the country, according to results tracked by the Associated Press.
Republicans kept control of the Texas Senate. Democrats also won the governor’s office, with Gina Hinojosa becoming the first Democrat elected governor of Texas since Ann Richards in 1990. The party entered the night holding 62 of the 150 House seats and needed to flip 14 to take the majority, the Texas Tribune reported.
The gains went well beyond Texas. Democrats took full control, meaning the governor’s office and both legislative chambers, in at least five states where they previously shared power. They won or held trifectas in Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania, and will hold at least 28 governorships in 2027, with pickups in Georgia, Iowa, Ohio and Texas.
The party also broke or prevented Republican supermajorities in nine legislative chambers across eight states: Florida, South Carolina, Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, Ohio, Kansas and North Carolina. The National Conference of State Legislatures called it the biggest single-election change of partisan power in state governments since 2010.
Results remain projections based on Associated Press race calls and unofficial counts. They become official only after each state certifies its results over the coming weeks.
Source: PBS News
