Gina Hinojosa Says She Will Fire TEA Chief Mike Morath on Day One and Reshape Texas Schools

Texas governor-elect Gina Hinojosa says she will fire TEA chief Morath on her first day in office and rebuild how the state runs its public schools.

Hinojosa, a Democrat who defeated Republican Governor Greg Abbott on November 3, 2026, made the promise in her victory speech on Tuesday night and repeated it at her first news conference as governor-elect on Thursday, November 5, where she said her team is already interviewing people to replace Morath.

She also promised to end the one billion dollar private school voucher program and halt state takeovers of local school districts. The change would affect more than 9,000 schools, but the voucher program is written into state law and a new commissioner needs approval from two-thirds of the Texas Senate.

Quick Facts

Hinojosa’s Promise: Fire TEA Chief Morath on Day One

Hinojosa did not wait long to make her intentions clear. In her victory speech on Tuesday night, November 3, she told supporters that she would act on education on her very first day in office. Her words were direct and left little room for doubt about where she stands on the current leadership of the Texas Education Agency.

She said: “On day one, I will fire Mike Morath, and we will work tirelessly to repair the damage of the Texas vouchers scam and end an era in which our schools are sold for parts.”

Public education was central to her campaign, which she framed as “saving” Texas public schools. Two days later, at her first news conference as governor-elect on Thursday, November 5, she moved from promise to process. She told reporters that she and her team are “actively interviewing people” to replace Morath, a sign that the search is already under way, weeks before she takes office on January 19, 2027. She also said she will appoint a commissioner who respects local control and the role of parents and community.

Who Mike Morath Is and Why He Is Leaving

Mike Morath has led the Texas Education Agency since Governor Abbott appointed him commissioner in 2016. His term expires on January 10, 2027, just nine days before Hinojosa takes office. The timing means a change at the top of the agency was already close, but Hinojosa has made it clear that she does not want Morath to stay on in any form.

The TEA is one of the most powerful agencies in Texas government. It oversees 1,207 school districts and more than 9,000 schools. Its commissioner sets the tone for how the state grades schools and steps in when campuses struggle.

Morath told a group of school leaders this week that he was committed to “ensuring a smooth and successful transition for the incoming education commissioner.” He expects to hand over the job, even as Hinojosa has already made her plans public. The election fits into a wider picture of change in Texas politics, covered in our report on the 2026 governor races in Texas, Georgia, California and New York.

What Happens to the Voucher Program

The biggest policy question after the election is the future of the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program. The program sends one billion dollars in public money to private school vouchers, letting families use state funds to pay for private school tuition. Hinojosa has promised to end it.

She called the program a scam in her victory speech and tied it to what she described as an era in which schools are sold for parts. Her campaign argued that the voucher money drains funds from public schools that serve most Texas children, while leaving public school districts with less to spend.

Ending the program will not be simple. It is written into state law, so killing it would need legislative action or use of the line-item veto power. Hinojosa cannot end it by executive order alone. That fight will play out in the legislative session starting in January 2027. Lieutenant Governor-elect Vikki Goodwin is expected to put public school reform on the agenda for that session. For a look at how Texas politics is shifting in other areas, see our report on how the Houston mayor curtailed ICE cooperation at traffic stops.

School Takeovers and Local Control

The second major promise from Hinojosa is to halt state takeovers of local school districts. Under current law, the education commissioner must intervene when a campus receives five consecutive F ratings, either ordering the district to close the campus or taking over the district. That rule comes from a 2015 state law.

Morath has generally chosen takeovers. He did so in Fort Worth, Lake Worth and Houston ISDs, sending state-appointed managers to run districts that had been governed by locally elected boards. Those takeovers remain some of the most controversial decisions of his time in office.

The issue is not going away. Austin ISD faces a possible takeover after Burnet and Webb middle schools received their fifth failing accountability ratings. Hinojosa knows the district well, having served on the Austin school board from 2012 to late 2015, including as president. She has said she will appoint a commissioner who respects local control, but the 2015 law still stands, and changing it would also need the legislature.

The Hurdles Ahead

Hinojosa won the election, but winning the election is not the same as winning the policy fight. Several hurdles stand between her promises and the changes she wants to make.

First, the voucher program is written into state law. Ending it would need legislative action or use of the line-item veto power. Lawmakers who supported the program are still in office, and they are unlikely to vote to end it without a fight. Using the line-item veto to strike a billion dollar program would set up a major clash with the legislature.

Second, a new commissioner must be confirmed by the Texas Senate with approval from two-thirds of the senators. That is a high bar. Hinojosa can interview candidates and name her choice, but the Senate gets the final say. If senators object to her pick, the confirmation could stall or fail.

The calendar is tight as well. Morath leaves office on January 10, 2027, and Hinojosa takes office on January 19, 2027. The legislative session starts in January 2027 too. That means the new governor will be building her team, pushing her agenda and learning the job all at the same time. Democrats are also on track to hold a majority on the Texas State Board of Education, which could give Hinojosa allies in another part of the education system. The leadership changes in Austin reach beyond the governor’s office, as shown by how Senfronia Thompson became the sole candidate for Texas House speaker.

What This Means for Texas Families

For parents and students, the change at the top of the TEA could shape daily life in schools across Texas. The agency oversees more than 9,000 schools. If Hinojosa follows through on ending vouchers, families using the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program would need to plan for a future without that funding. If she halts takeovers, districts like Austin ISD could keep local control even as their struggling campuses face pressure to improve.

What is certain is that Texas education policy is about to change. Hinojosa is the first Democrat elected governor of Texas since 1990, and she won by making public schools the center of her campaign. The people who voted for her expect action, and the people who voted against her expect a fight.

Will Gina Hinojosa really fire Mike Morath on day one?

Yes, if her own words hold. In her victory speech on November 3, Hinojosa said: “On day one, I will fire Mike Morath.” At her first news conference as governor-elect on November 5, she said her team is already interviewing people to replace him. Morath’s term expires January 10, 2027, and Hinojosa takes office January 19, 2027.

Can Hinojosa end the Texas voucher program by herself?

No, not by herself. The Texas Education Freedom Accounts program is written into state law, so ending it would need legislative action or use of the line-item veto power. Hinojosa can push lawmakers to repeal the program or use her veto to strike its funding, but she cannot end it with a single order.

What happens to school takeovers under Hinojosa?

Hinojosa has promised to halt state takeovers of local school districts and to appoint a commissioner who respects local control and the role of parents and community. But a 2015 state law requires the education commissioner to intervene when a campus receives five consecutive F ratings, either by ordering the district to close the campus or by taking over the district. Changing that rule would need the legislature. Austin ISD faces a possible takeover after Burnet and Webb middle schools received their fifth failing accountability ratings, so this question could come up early in her term.

Who needs to approve the new education commissioner?

The new commissioner must be confirmed by the Texas Senate with approval from two-thirds of the senators. Hinojosa can choose her nominee and begin interviews now, but the Senate has the final say.

Sources

• USA Today: Texas public education and school vouchers under Hinojosa
• San Antonio Current: Hinojosa already interviewing replacements for TEA chief Mike Morath
• San Antonio Current: How Texas schools could change for millions of students

Final Thoughts

Gina Hinojosa won the Texas governor’s race by putting public schools first, and she has wasted no time telling Texans what she plans to do with that win. Firing Mike Morath, ending the voucher program and halting school takeovers are bold promises, and she has already started the search for a new commissioner to carry them out.

The hard part starts now. Laws, Senate votes and a tight calendar all stand in her way. The voucher program is written into state law, and a new commissioner needs two-thirds of the Senate. None of that means her promises will fail. It means the fight over Texas schools is moving from the campaign trail to the Capitol, where it will be decided in votes, vetoes and negotiations. For the millions of students in more than 9,000 Texas schools, the outcome will shape their classrooms for years to come.