November 6, 2026, 2:31 p.m. ET
A major shake-up is on the horizon for Texas public education after Democrats won the gubernatorial race for the first time in more than three decades and are poised to take control of the state’s board of education.
Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa ran with an agenda to improve the state’s public education, starting with replacing Mike Morath, commissioner of the Texas Education Agency (TEA). She’s already putting this plan into motion.
“From day one, I will fire Mike Morath and we will work tirelessly to undo the damage caused by the Texas voucher scam and end an era where our schools are sold for parts,” Hinojosa said in his Nov. 3 victory speech.
At his first news conference as governor-elect on Nov. 5, just days after his historic victory, Hinojosa said his team was “actively interviewing people” to replace Morath.
Gov. Greg Abbott named Morath commissioner of the state agency that oversees Texas’ 1,207 school districts and more than 9,000 schools in 2016. His term expires Jan. 10, and Hinojosa takes office Jan. 19.
He also led the overhaul of the state’s AF school accountability system and the state takeover of large districts, including Houston ISD and Fort Worth ISD.
A TEA spokesperson told KPRC, NBC’s affiliate in Houston, that Morath told a group of school leaders this week that he was committed to “ensuring a smooth and successful transition for the new education commissioner.”
USA TODAY reached out to the TEA for further comment but did not receive a response.
But the commissioner seat isn’t the only thing expected to change under Hinojosa, as Democrats are on track to hold the majority on the Texas State Board of Education.
Democrats set to take control of the Texas Board of Education
Unofficial results show Democrats picked up seven seats on the 15-member Texas State Board of Education, up from four. That leaves the board split 7-7, with a too-close-to-call race that will determine which party controls the majority.
This race is for District 8, where unofficial results from the Texas Secretary of State’s office show Democrat Dana Van De Walker leading Republican incumbent Audrey Young by 564 votes as of November 6.
The board works alongside the TEA Commissioner to establish curriculum standards, adopt instructional materials, and establish graduation requirements for K-12 public schools in Texas.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional Texas newspapers, based in Austin. Do you have a tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
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