Democrats see early leads in races for Texas governor, lieutenant governor

As polls across Texas closed at 7 p.m. Nov. 3, early voting results showed Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, with an initial lead over Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in the race for Texas governor. Abbott is running for a fourth term as Texas' top elected official, while Hinojosa is seeking to become the state's first Latina governor and the first Democrat to lead the state in more than 30 years.

In the lieutenant governor's race, unofficial early results show that state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, a Democrat from Austin, is leading Republican incumbent Dan Patrick of Houston. Patrick is seeking a fourth term as the leader of the Texas Senate and second-in-command to the governor.

The current situation

According to data from the secretary of state, with 6% of precincts across Texas reporting some early voting and Election Day results:

• Hinojosa had 55% of the vote for governor as of press time. Abbott trailed with 44% of the early vote, while Libertarian Pat Dixon had 1% of the vote.

• In the race for lieutenant governor, Goodwin had 53% of the vote and Patrick had 45% of the early vote. Libertarian Anthony Cristo and Green Party candidate Kevin McCormick each had 1% of the vote.

Republicans currently hold all statewide seats on the ballot, and no Democrat or third-party candidate has won a statewide office in Texas since 1994, election records show.

Texas' last Democratic governor was Ann Richards, who was elected in 1990 and served one four-year term before losing to Republican George W. Bush in 1994, according to the Texas Legislative Reference Library. Democrat Bob Bullock served as the state's most recent lieutenant governor from 1991-99, records show.

Community Impact will continue to update this article as more election results come in, and all results are unofficial until canvassed. Follow along at communityimpact.com/voter-guide to see results from federal, state and local races in more than 70 Texas communities.