Texas voters elected Republican Adam Hinojosa to the state Senate in a potential blow to the state’s casino gambling and sports betting legalization prospects.
Hinojosa’s election means 20 GOP senators will take office in next year’s legislative session compared to 11 Democrats. The increased Republican majority could make passing the state’s first-ever commercial casino gaming legislation more difficult.
Hinojosa defeated incumbent Democrat Morgan LaMantia, winning with 49.4% of the vote to LaMantia’s 48.3%. Another 2.3% voted for third party candidates. It was the only competitive race among the 15 Senate seats on the ballot in this year’s election cycle.
