Sheinbaum congratulates Hinojosa, Becerra on historic wins

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday congratulated Texas Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa (D) on her historic victory as the Lone Star State’s first Latina governor and California Gov.-elect Xavier Becerra (D), who will become the state’s first Latino governor in more than a century.

“I would like to highlight the achievement of two individuals of Mexican origin: the governor-elect of California and the governor-elect of Texas,” Sheinbaum said at a press conference translated by Courthouse News .

Sheinbaum said their victories were a source of pride for Mexicans and that beyond their political platforms and Mexico’s historic ties to both Texas and California, they both hold strong ties to the Mexican community, United Press International reported.

The Mexican leader told reporters that the election results reflect “a sentiment among the American people,” according to the outlet.

Hinojosa won her race against incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott, depriving the Republican of a fourth term in office. She became Texas’s third woman to become the state’s chief executive, after former Gov. Ann Richards (D), who served from 1991 to 1995, and former Gov. Miriam A. Ferguson (D), who led between 1925 and 1927, and again between 1933 and 1935.

Abbott conceded and said his administration would work with Hinojosa’s team to transition into the governor’s mansion.

The win was part of a strong night for Democrats in Texas that did not apply solely to Hinojosa: Sen.-elect James Talarico (D) beat state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) in the Senate race, Democratic state Rep. Vikki Goodwin defeated Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), and Democrats won the races for state attorney general, comptroller, railroad commissioner and agriculture commissioner.

Becerra, former Health and Human Services secretary under former President Biden, defeated Republican Steve Hilton after running on his experience and appeal to Latinos, who make up a significant portion of the Golden State’s electorate. He will succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), a potential contender in the 2028 Democratic presidential primary.

Becerra’s victory marks the first time a Latino has become California’s governor since Romualdo Pacheco, who served from February to December 1875.

Texas, once Mexican territory, won its independence in 1836 and was admitted into the union in 1845 under President James K. Polk, according to the State Department’s Office of the Historian . California joined the union following the Mexican-American War in 1850, two years after the start of the Gold Rush, the California State Parks noted.