Democrats win rural and border counties in Texas elections

Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Governor Greg Abbott and Democrat James Talarico won a U.S. Senate seat against Republican Ken Paxton during the 2026 elections in Texas.

These victories signaled a shift in a state where Republicans had dominated statewide contests for several decades. The political shift affected all 171 rural counties in Texas, where every county moved toward the Democratic party in these specific races.

In the gubernatorial contest, rural Texas moved more than eight percentage points toward Democrats compared to 2022. The Senate race saw rural Texas move 7.5 points more Democratic than in 2024. While the 2024 race was a presidential election with different turnout patterns, the consistency across all rural counties suggests a change in the political landscape. Voters in the 16 border counties of Texas saw a jump of more than 8 percentage points in turnout.

In Brewster County, home to Big Bend National Park, Democrat Gina Hinojosa flipped the county by eight points, while James Talarico won the Senate race by more than 10 points. This followed a period where Republicans held the county. Starr County, a majority-Hispanic county in the Rio Grande Valley, saw a dramatic reversal where Hinojosa won by nearly 50 points and Talarico won by nearly 55 points.

Democrats also won several congressional seats, including the 15th District and the 23rd District. In the 23rd District, Democrat Katy Padilla Stout defeated Republican Brandon Herrera. The district shifted approximately 23 percentage points toward Democrats compared to 2024. In the 15th District, Democrat Bobby Pulido defeated incumbent Republican Monica De La Cruz, reclaiming the seat. This district shifted 42 percentage points toward Democrats compared to 2024.