The recent election has concluded, but the journey towards holding Texas officials accountable is just beginning. Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa has made her intentions clear, announcing her transition team during a press conference on Thursday, marking her first public appearance since her victory over Governor Greg Abbott in this week’s midterm elections.
At the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs in Austin, Hinojosa declared, “This is a transition for the whole state of Texas. We will have a bipartisan transition, and we will have a bipartisan administration and government in Texas.”
Joe Madden, who previously served as chief of staff to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, will lead Hinojosa’s transition team as the executive director. The team also includes former state Representative Ernest Bailes, who identifies as a “conservative Republican,” and Ryan Pollock from the Texas State Building and Construction Trades Council. Additionally, Tamala Barksdale, a former trustee of the Austin Independent School District who worked alongside Hinojosa, will serve as a senior adviser for the transition.
“I believe in Gina,” remarked Bailes, who represented the Texas House from 2017 to 2025. “We will put partisanship aside. We will work together for what is best for the kids of the state of Texas. We will be able to take care of education, and we will support and listen to the people.”
Bailes has been a vocal opponent of Abbott’s advocacy for private school vouchers and faced defeat in his reelection bid two years ago after Abbott endorsed his primary challenger, now-state Representative Janis Holt. In 2023, Bailes and several House Republicans collaborated with the Democratic minority to block the voucher initiative, a campaign in which Hinojosa played a significant role.
Upon her inauguration, Hinojosa is expected to wield greater influence than anticipated, following a Democratic sweep of statewide offices and a takeover of the Texas House. While she will navigate a GOP-majority state Senate, she will have allies in key positions, including Democrats Vikki Goodwin as lieutenant governor and Nathan Johnson as the incoming attorney general.
When asked about the possibility of the Republican-majority state Senate attempting to obstruct her transition or alter Senate rules to limit Goodwin’s authority, Hinojosa responded, “The people of Texas have spoken, and I think it’s important that as elected leaders we respect what the people of Texas have said.”
She expressed optimism that leaders from both parties would not hinder progress, stating, “I would hope that elected leaders from both parties don’t get in the way of the progress we can make together to deliver for working people. That is our obligation as leaders in this state, and I look forward to working with Republican leaders in the Legislature.”
Impact of the Election
The recent political shift is poised to have significant repercussions across state governance, granting Democrats the opportunity to shape the state’s agenda for the first time in decades. During her campaign, Hinojosa pledged to distribute $1,500 to every Texas household from the state’s savings account, end public school takeovers, reverse the school voucher program, expand Medicaid, and eliminate government inefficiencies. Some of these initiatives may encounter challenges in the Senate.
The press conference lasted about 14 minutes, during which Hinojosa fielded approximately five questions from reporters, including one in Spanish, primarily focusing on her transition plans.
Hinojosa remarked that Abbott had been “gracious” and indicated that his team would “fully cooperate with this transition and be as helpful as they can.”
“We are both committed to ensuring there is a smooth transition so that the people of Texas are taken care of,” she added.
A key commitment Hinojosa reiterated throughout her campaign was her intention to terminate Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath on her first day in office. She mentioned that her team is currently “actively interviewing” candidates to succeed Morath, who has overseen the appointment of management boards in seven districts since 2023. Morath’s term is set to conclude at the end of the year.
On the topic of the potential sale of Boca Chica State Park to SpaceX, Hinojosa stated that she had communicated with the executive director of Texas Parks and Wildlife, requesting that “no action be taken” regarding the sale during her transition period. She criticized the proposal during her campaign, alleging that Abbott had agreed to sell the beach to Elon Musk, who was his largest campaign contributor in this cycle.
