Gina Hinojosa, 52, a Democrat running for governor of Texas in the U.S. midterm elections, has won by defeating incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott, who was seeking a fourth term, the Associated Press reported.

Texas has long been considered a stronghold for the U.S. Republican Party. This marks the first time a Democrat has been elected governor of Texas in 36 years, since former Governor Ann Richards was elected in 1990 during the presidency of George H.W. Bush.

Hinojosa, who is Latina, previously worked as a labor and civil rights attorney and has served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives since 2017.

Unlike Abbott, a three-term governor and staunch supporter of President Trump, Hinojosa initially had lower public name recognition. However, the AP noted that she steadily raised her approval ratings by consistently speaking out on issues involving artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and corruption.

Earlier, it was reported that Democratic candidate James Talarico was projected to win the U.S. Senate race in Texas, creating a major upset in which both the governorship and the Senate seat in a quintessential conservative stronghold were won by Democratic candidates.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)