GOP Lawmaker Seeks Limits on Texas Governor Before Hinojosa Takes Office

Newsweek · Jennifer Radcliffe · 2026-11-06 01:05 UTC

A Republican lawmaker wants Texas to curb the governor's emergency powers before Gina Hinojosa takes office in January.

A Texas Republican lawmaker urged Governor Greg Abbott in a viral X post to call a special session to strip some of the governor's powers before Gina Hinojosa takes over the office in January, drawing a firestorm of criticism from Democrats who just won every statewide office in Tuesday's election.

State Representative Brian Harrison, a Republican from Midlothian, wants Abbott to convene lawmakers to restrict the governor's emergency powers before Democrat Gina Hinojosa takes office on January 19. She will be the first Democratic governor in Texas since Ann Richards left office in 1995.

Harrison told Newsweek that his call isn't fueled by politics. He said he made the same demand when Abbott won re-election four years ago.

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