Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa says recent school board and city council election results across the state signal hope for Democrats running in statewide races — but politics watchers tell Axios the suggestion is tenuous.

Why it matters: No Democrat has won statewide in Texas since 1994, but Democratic candidates are eager to show this year is different.

Driving the news: Hinojosa, a state lawmaker who faces Republican incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott, declared in a news release that this month's election results have illustrated "the coalition that's going to send Greg Abbott packing in November."

State of play: Hinojosa cited local election results across the state.

• In Arlington, for example, Democratic-aligned Brittney Garcia-Dumas flipped a City Council seat in the 5th District.
• In Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, Matthew White, Lindsey Sheguit, and Darrell Brown ousted GOP-aligned incumbents on the district's Board of Trustees.
• And, in Denton, Democratic-aligned Jordan Villarreal won a City Council seat in the 1st District, while Democratic-aligned Anita Martinez-Strickland won a seat on the Denton ISD Board of Trustees.

Yes, but: GOP-aligned candidates still have clout in some suburban areas. In North Richland Hills, three conservative-backed candidates won seats on the City Council.

• Mayor Jack McCarty, also endorsed by Republicans, was reelected to a second term.

The big picture: Special elections across the country have reflected Democratic voters' enthusiasm — or, put another way, desperation — in the Trump era.

• In January, Democrat Taylor Rehmet flipped a Texas Senate district in Tarrant County, beating President Trump-backed Republican and Patriot Mobile Executive Leigh Wambsganss.

The other side: "Every election, Democrats claim Texas is turning blue. Every election, Texans reject their radical agenda of open borders, boys in girls' sports, higher taxes, and soft-on-crime policies," Eduardo Leal, spokesperson for the Abbott campaign, tells Axios.

• "This November will be no different."

The intrigue: Democrats are "taking a page out of the Republican playbook in the Obama years," Austin McCarty, a government affairs adviser who previously worked for the Texas Association of Counties, tells Axios.

• "Republicans became hyperfocused on municipal, county and school district races. That led to results farther up the ballot. ... Wins have a way of creating momentum for a party."

While local elections wins indicate grassroots enthusiasm, they're also of limited value for predicting statewide races in November, experts tell Axios.

Reality check: The elections Hinojosa cites (👆) are nonpartisan. The candidates are not running on the ballot as Republican or Democratic, one of the reasons the results could have limited implications for November, Mark Jones, a Rice University political science professor, tells Axios.

• "At the end of the day, these races are about local issues," he says. In a state that has voted for Republicans the last 30 years, elections could be different when an R or D is by the candidates' names, he said.
• Also, turnout is dramatically lower in May elections — typically in the single-digits — compared to 45.9% of registered voters in the 2022 midterm election.

Follow the money: A lot more money will be at play, too. Republican statewide candidates in Texas typically have more money available than Democrats.

• As of late February, per the latest campaign finance reports, Texans for Greg Abbott had $95 million on hand. Hinojosa's campaign had $617,635.

Between the lines: For Hinojosa "to have any hope, she has to create some level of belief among Democratic donors that she has some potential for victory," Jones tells Axios.

The bottom line: Abbott leads Hinojosa by 6 percentage points among registered voters in the latest University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll.

• Yes, but: That's a narrower margin than in the group's February poll, which showed Abbott leading by 10 points.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and his wife of 27 years, Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy, are returning to their reality-TV roots with a stop at the Fort Worth Stockyards.

• They loaded up their kids for "The Great American Road Trip," an online series tied to civic engagement for America's 250th.

The intrigue: The nine Duffy kids range from age 6 to 26. Different assortments joined various cross-country stops over the past seven months, including a kickoff with President Trump in the Oval Office and in Texas.

• The production was funded by a business-backed nonprofit that partnered with the Transportation Department.

Flashback: The secretary starred in MTV's "The Real World" in his 20s, and met Campos-Duffy while filming "Road Rules: All Stars."

What they're saying: "To love America is to see America. It's more than a roadtrip; it's a civic experience," he says in the roadtrip series' trailer.

• The five episodes begin dropping in early June.

💰 A Dallas County committee will discuss a proposed tax to fund housing and outreach efforts for residents facing homelessness. (KERA)

🏀 The Dallas Mavericks earned the ninth pick for the 2026 NBA draft in Sunday's lottery. (DMN)

🚨 DART police officers were involved in a shooting Sunday evening near the Victory Park station. (CBS11)

Reliable local reporting helps you stay connected to the people, decisions and changes shaping your community.

Why it matters: Your support helps our newsroom continue delivering the clear, trustworthy coverage you rely on every day.

💙 Become a member today. You'll help support the journalism that keeps your community informed and engaged.

• Help keep strong local journalism thriving in your community.

Universal Kids Resort hasn't even opened yet but its Google Maps page is bumping.

• As of Friday, 90 people had left Google reviews that have nothing to do with the experience of going but more about their feelings about the 94-acre project in Frisco.

Driving the news: Universal hasn't yet announced an opening date for the park, saying that it will open sometime this year. Many North Texans aren't happy with the obscurity.

What they're saying: "Can y'all put the date when it opens? Otherwise I'm leaving a 1 star review until I can finally go here!" one person writes.

• Another person claimed to have broken into the unopened park. "Tripped on rebar. Almost died fear future lazy river. Staff nonexistent. Do not recommend," they wrote.
• One person left a "positive review thanking Universal for thinking of Frisco & our little ones."

The other side: "We truly appreciate your enthusiasm and patience, and we can't wait to share more details as they're announced," a park spokesperson tells Axios.