Texas Democrats Turn Over State House With Education Slate
New legislators, including teachers and union leaders, take office following the 2024 passage of a $1 billion voucher law.
By Rafael Delgado ·
Democratic candidates with public education backgrounds won a majority of the Texas House races in the November 2026 election. The party secured control of the chamber after two years of Republican leadership under Gov. Greg Abbott, who signed a $1 billion private school voucher program into law in 2024. The new delegation includes several current and former educators who campaigned heavily on school funding issues.
Gina Hinojosa, a former Austin ISD school board president, won the governorship. She is joined by James Talarico, a former Rhodes Middle School teacher, in the U.S. Senate. The Democratic ticket also includes Adrian Reyna, a union leader in San Antonio, who won House District 125 with 67.53 percent of the vote. Kristian Carranza flipped House District 118 with 61.69 percent, and Zack Dunn took House District 121 with 54 percent. Michelle Williams, an educator from Houston ISD, defeated the incumbent in House District 127.
The shift in the legislature follows a period of intense political focus on school finance. Republican leaders advanced the voucher program in 2024 while also increasing school property tax exemptions for seniors. Critics argued that taxpayer funds directed to private institutions reduced resources for public schools. Local voters rejected several school bond measures in the same election cycle, leaving many districts with strained budgets despite the state level victory for Democrats.
State Rep. Diego Bernal, a senior member of the Bexar County delegation, said the new House will likely prioritize school finance and accountability. He serves on the House Public Education Committee. Katherine Fischer, executive director of Texas Majority PAC, stated that the voucher program will remain a central topic in the upcoming legislative session. She noted that the party now controls the state house, the governor's office, and the lieutenant governor's seat.
Incumbent Republican Speaker Dustin Burrows defended his party's record before the election. He cited $7.7 billion in public school investments from the last session, a figure that included funds tied to state mandates. Opponents argued that those mandates placed additional financial burdens on local districts. The new Democratic leadership has vowed to review the voucher program and address the standardized testing system.
Hinojosa promised to fire Texas Education Agency commissioner Mike Morath, who was appointed by Abbott in 2016. Morath has overseen state takeovers of underperforming urban school districts. Carranza said she would call for an audit of the voucher program if elected. The Texas State Teachers Association expressed support for the new members, citing goals to raise teacher pay and limit standardized testing.
The election results mark a change in the composition of the Texas House, which had few educators in previous sessions. The new members represent a mix of urban and suburban districts. They will take office as the state faces decisions on how to fund its public school system in the years ahead.
