James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa celebrated their election victories at a local Whataburger late Tuesday night. The two Democrats raised oversized soda cups alongside supporters following the surprising results.
The Democratic wins marked a major political shift in Texas. Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in the Senate race, while Hinojosa beat incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott by approximately seven percentage points.
James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa celebrate their reported Texas election victories at Whataburger
According to TMZ, the two Democrats celebrated the end of a tense election season at a local Whataburger. Cheering supporters surrounded them as they raised their drinks. Talarico received 55.1% of the vote, compared with Paxton’s 43%. His victory marked a significant Democratic win in the closely watched Senate race.
Hinojosa’s victory also came as a surprise. Abbott had served as Texas governor since 2015 and was seeking a fourth term. Meanwhile, the Democrats reclaimed control of both chambers of Congress.
TMZ previously reported that Hinojosa criticized Abbott during her campaign, accusing him of trying to hand over Boca Chica State Park to Elon Musk. When asked whether she feared Musk might leave Texas if she became governor, she said, “Nobody wants to leave Texas. As Texans, we know our worth, and he’s lucky to be here, frankly.” She also opposed giving Musk taxpayer money or control of public beaches.
Hinojosa also revealed that her son had already considered putting a baseball net in the governor’s mansion backyard. She then took a dig at Abbott for refusing to debate her. She joked that TMZ’s Jacob must be a major donor to have secured some face time with the governor.
The two Democrats marked their victories with a casual Whataburger celebration after a closely watched election night.
