Democrats flip Texas House; Houston area sees seat changes
Democrats seized control of the Texas House of Representatives in the Nov. 3, 2026 midterm election for the first time in more than two decades, as voters ousted Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick. Democrats picked up multiple seats in Harris County and the Houston area, including a Houston-area seat won by Sara McGee.
- When it happened
- Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026 (Election Day)
- Where
- Texas House; Harris County and Houston area
- First reported by an outlet
- Nov 3, 2026 at 9:23 pm
- Confirmed by
- 2 independent outlets
Taxes & money
None stated in sources.
Who's involved
- Gina Hinojosa · Democrat elected governor of Texas[1]
- Vikki Goodwin · Democrat poised to serve as Texas Senate presiding officer[1]
- Gene Wu · Houston Rep., House Democrats' caucus chair[1]
- Christina Morales · State Rep., chairs House Democrats' campaign arm[1]
- Sara McGee · Democrat who defeated Schofield for Houston-area Texas House seat[2]
- Greg Abbott · Governor, defeated in election[1]
- Dan Patrick · Lieutenant Governor, defeated in election[1]
The facts
- Democrats entered the Nov. 3, 2026 election with 62 of the Texas House's 150 seats, needing to flip 14 seats to claim the majority.[1]
- By early Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 4, 2026, the Associated Press had called 11 Republican-held seats in Democrats' favor, and GOP incumbents had conceded in three others.[1]
- Democrats led in at least seven other GOP districts where all Election Day returns had come in on Nov. 3, 2026, positioning them to net 21 seats.[1]
- If those results hold, Democrats would enter the next legislative session in January with 83 seats to Republicans' 67.[1]
- The House flip ended Republican control of the lower chamber dating to 2003.[1]
- Republicans retained control of the Texas state Senate, denying Democrats a trifecta.[1]
- In September, House Democrats' caucus chair Gene Wu predicted his party would flip the House.[1]
- Democrats also picked up several seats in Harris and Tarrant counties in the Nov. 3, 2026 election.[1]
Who said what
- Christina Morales, State Rep. and House Democrats' campaign chair Flipping the House 'has been our goal from the very beginning'[1]
- GOP data consultant Ross Hunt Republicans are going to lose control of the Texas state House of Representatives[1]
- Allison Campolo, Tarrant County Democratic Party Chair Lawyers were examining the matter of an unclear House seat outcome[1]
Sources
- News Lean Left Democrats flip Texas House amid generational wave The Texas Tribune · Nov 3, 2026
- News Lean Right Democrat Sara McGee Defeats Schofield, Flips Houston-Area Texas House Seat The Texan · Nov 4, 2026
Written by AI from the sources above, under fixed rules: every fact is cited, claims are kept apart from facts, and dollar figures appear only when a source states them. Mistakes get corrected in public.