⚠️IMPORTANT: This is commentary based on publicly available voting records and statements. It is not legal advice, not a prediction of future legislation, and not an endorsement or opposition of any candidate or party. Past votes do not guarantee future votes. Readers should check current bill status directly at Texas Legislature Online.⚠️
Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa becomes Texas’s first Latina governor and the first Democrat in the office since Ann Richards.¹ The voters settled it.
Governor Abbott called to congratulate her, acknowledged the math, and offered transition help.² Twelve years is a long run. He closed it cleanly.
Same night, same state: Senator-elect James Talarico.³ Two historic wins. Both now have records instead of campaign language.
For the 2A community, the question is what their records show on firearms.
Hinojosa voted against HB 1927 in 2021, the bill that established permitless carry.⁴ She voted against SB 20 (hotel firearm storage) and SB 535 (church carry).⁴ In a 2017 Texas Tribune piece she listed, among other proposals, a license-to-carry requirement for long guns.⁵ Those votes and that writing are in the journals and the archives.
Talarico’s record tracks the same direction. He also voted against HB 1927.⁶ He voted against SB 20.⁶ He has publicly supported an “assault weapons” ban and a ban on large-capacity magazines.⁷ Those positions are on the record. He will be a Democrat in a Republican-controlled U.S. Senate.
Governor-elect Hinojosa’s campaign ran on education and affordability. She made direct comments about firing the education commissioner, rolling back vouchers, and school funding.⁸ In Texas, school policy and gun policy still meet at campus carry, resource officers, and school safety debates.
The voting records are public. The bills are public. The 90th Legislature convenes January 12. 2027.⁹ Pre-filing opens November 9, 2026. If something gets filed, the useful response is the bill number, the author, what it does in plain English, and where it sits. No predictions. No legal conclusions.
Democrats now control the Texas Governor’s mansion and the Texas House 76-74, so they decide what reaches House committees.¹⁰ Republicans still hold the Texas Senate 19-12.¹⁰ That is a real procedural check at the state level. Most bills filed in Austin die in committee. “Probably won’t happen” is not the same as “can’t happen.” The people who get caught flat-footed are the ones who assumed it couldn’t. Virginia was a lot of people’s “it can’t happen here” until it did.
Plenty of people I am related to think the Second Amendment is outdated. I do not have to share their view to acknowledge it exists in roughly half of Texas. The other half disagrees just as strongly. That split is why it matters, not because one side is evil, but because the law sits on that line and it moves.
Check the file. Don’t test the door.
References:
Bills for the 90th Legislature can be searched and tracked as they are filed at Texas Legislature Online: https://capitol.texas.gov
¹ Allen, S. (2026, November 4). Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa vows to undo Texas school vouchers and takeovers. The Dallas Morning News. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/article/gina-hinojosa-texas-education-22510760.php
² Abbott, G. (2026, November 3). Concession remarks [Speech]. Austin, TX. Reported in multiple outlets including FOX 7 Austin. https://www.fox7austin.com/news/texas-governor-elect-gina-hinojosa-hold-first-post-election-news-conference-austin
³ O’Donoghue, G., & Drenon, B. (2026, November 4). James Talarico becomes first Democrat to win Texas Senate seat since 1988. BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6n8dnn09jg7o
⁴ Texas Legislature Online. (n.d.). Bill history for HB 1927, SB 20, and SB 535 (87th Legislature). Texas Legislature Online. https://capitol.texas.gov (Vote Smart also records Nay votes on HB 1927 conference report and SB 20.)
⁵ Hinojosa, G. (2017, November 8). We can prevent gun violence in Texas — now. TribTalk. https://www.tribtalk.org/2017/11/08/we-can-prevent-gun-violence-in-texas-now/
⁶ Vote Smart. (n.d.). James Talarico’s voting records on issue: Guns. https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/177454/james-talarico/37/guns (Records Nay votes on HB 1927 conference report and SB 20.)
⁷ NRA-ILA. (2026, October 14). NRA launches new Texas Senate ad. https://www.nraila.org/articles/20261014/nra-launches-new-texas-senate-ad-as-part-of-multi-million-dollar-campaign-to-retain-pro-gun-majorities-in-congress (Also reported in The Reload and AmmoLand.)
⁸ Allen, S. (2026, November 4). 5 things Gina Hinojosa plans for public education in Texas. The Dallas Morning News. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/article/gina-hinojosa-texas-education-things-to-know-22512617.php
⁹ Texas Legislative Council. (n.d.). Dates of interest for the 90th Legislature. Cited in Houston Chronicle and multiple legislative calendars. Session convenes January 12, 2027; pre-filing begins November 9, 2026. https://capitol.texas.gov
¹⁰ FOX 7 Austin. (2026, November 4). Texas election results: State House flips Democrat as Republicans hold Senate. https://www.fox7austin.com/news/texas-election-results-state-legislature (Also reflected in contemporary reporting from the Texas District & County Attorneys Association and MultiState.)
