Gina Hinojosa appoints Republican in first move as governor-elect
In a Newsweek article, Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa, a Democrat who defeated three-term Governor Greg Abbott, has named former state Representative Ernest Bailes, a conservative East Texas Republican, to co-chair her transition team alongside Ryan Pollock, saying, "I am not going to be the governor for just Democrats. I am going to be the governor for all the people of Texas." Bailes, who served in the Texas House from 2017 to 2025 and joined Democrats in blocking Abbott's 2023 school voucher plan before losing his seat to Abbott-endorsed Janis Holt, said the team would work together for Texas's children, and the team is expected to expand before Hinojosa's January 19, 2027 inauguration.
