Midterms 2026 · Report · File No. 261106-285
Hinojosa names Republican Ernest Bailes to Texas transition team after ousting Abbott
Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa, a Democrat, put a Republican former lawmaker on her transition leadership team. It is an early sign of how she plans to govern after beating Gov. Greg Abbott.
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Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa, a Democrat, named a Republican former state lawmaker to the leadership of her transition team. She announced it at her first public appearance since defeating three-term Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday 1. The news conference was Thursday, Nov. 5, in Austin 2.
The Republican is Ernest Bailes, a conservative from East Texas who served in the Texas House from 2017 to 2025 1. He is among the first four people picked to help shape the incoming administration 1. Newsweek reports he will co-chair the team with Ryan Pollock, executive director of the Texas State Building and Construction Trades Council, a labor group 1.
What Hinojosa said
I am not going to be the governor for just Democrats. I am going to be the governor for all the people of Texas,
She said she wanted a team that delivers on her campaign promises. "People are tired of the divisions, of the fighting," she said 1. She also said Abbott had been "gracious" about the handoff 2.
Why Bailes matters
Hinojosa called Bailes "one of my best allies for public schools" 1. In 2023, Bailes was among Republican lawmakers who joined Democrats to block Abbott's school voucher plan. That plan would have let public money help families pay for private education 1.
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That vote had a price. Abbott backed Republican primary challengers against lawmakers who helped defeat the plan. With his endorsement, Janis Holt won the 2024 primary for House District 18 by about 4,000 votes, unseating Bailes 1.
We will work together for what is best for the kids of the state of Texas.
The rest of the team
Joe Madden, a Houston public affairs consultant, will be executive director of the transition 1. Tamala Barksdale, a former Austin school board trustee who served with Hinojosa, is senior adviser 12.
Two things stand out in the lineup. Public education and organized labor are both represented in the leadership 1. During the campaign, Hinojosa promised to raise public school funding and replace Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath with an educator 1.
She said Thursday that her team was "actively interviewing" possible replacements for Morath 2. Her staff is also reviewing résumés for more hires, and the team is expected to grow in the coming weeks 1.
What happens next
Hinojosa's inauguration is set for Jan. 19, 2027 1. Democrats won statewide offices and the Texas House, but Republicans still control the state Senate 2. A governor who needs votes from both parties has a practical reason to reach across the aisle.
That is analysis, not a promise from Hinojosa. Still, naming a Republican who crossed Abbott on vouchers is a clear signal about where she plans to start: public schools. Her campaign did not immediately respond to a Newsweek request for comment on Friday 1.
The Record
- Bailes and other House Republicans joined Democrats in blocking Gov. Abbott's school voucher proposal in 2023 1.
- Abbott-backed Janis Holt won the 2024 Republican primary for House District 18 by about 4,000 votes, unseating Bailes 1.
- Hinojosa named Bailes, Pollock, Joe Madden and Tamala Barksdale to lead her transition 12.
- Hinojosa's inauguration is scheduled 1.
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Sources
- Newsweek, “Gina Hinojosa Appoints Republican in First Move as Governor-Elect” (2026-11-06). newsweek.com/gina-hinojosa-appoints-republican-first-move-go
- The Texas Tribune, “Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa announces bipartisan transition team” (2026-11-05). texastribune.org/2026/11/05/texas-gina-hinojosa-press-confer
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