WASHINGTON – Three-term Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott lost to Democratic state Representative Gina Hinojosa in a stunning upset that ends the Republican Party’s three-decade hold on the governor’s office, US media projected on Nov 3.

Hinojosa will make history as the first Hispanic elected to lead the state. No Democrat has won statewide office in Texas since 1994, the longest drought in the nation.

It was another surprising result during a strong night for Democrats, who were on track to win control of the House of Representatives and the Senate while scoring stunning victories in conservative states such as South Carolina and Kansas, according to media projections.

Abbott spent US$100 million (S$128 million) to try to defend his governorship and win a historic fourth term.

Hinojosa emerged as an unexpected competitor to one of the best-known and best-funded Republican governors in the country.

Democrats initially wrote off the Texas governor’s race and struggled to find a candidate willing to run against Abbott.

But national Democrats made a push this election cycle to run candidates in every race, and Hinojosa challenged Abbott only after no other Democrat would enter the contest.

Hinojosa’s win is part of a broader Democratic rout in Republican bastions as voters rejected US President Donald Trump, his handling of the economy and the war with Iran.

Democrats focused not only on House and Senate races but also on control of governors’ offices and state legislatures after Republicans launched an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting effort.