Follow live midterm updates here The Democratic party has pulled off a historic victory in Texas winning its first Senate seat since 1988, as well as the governorship in a state that has long been a Republican stronghold. Gina Hinojosa, an Austin-based state legislator and former school board president, is projected to defeat incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott, who was seeking a record fourth term. She is set to become the state's first Latina governor and third woman to hold the office.