The voters behind Texas’ blue wave in Harris County

Houston Chronicle · Adriana Rezal, R.A. Schuetz · 2026-11-05 12:00 UTC

Harris County Black and Hispanic voters backed James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa in the 2026 Texas Senate and governor races.

State Reps. James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa’s historic rout of the Republican Party, turning Texas blue for the first time in decades, gave Democrats a mandate for change.

That mandate was especially strong among Harris County’s Black and Hispanic voters, who waited in lines at polling centers where few voters turned out in previous elections. They voted overwhelmingly for Talarico in the U.S. Senate race and Hinojosa for governor.

Democratic winning margins for both races were much wider in areas where Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black residents make up the largest racial or ethnic group –– though not necessarily a majority –– areas where white residents do.

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