Sheinbaum Welcomes Two Mexican-Origin US Governors-Elect
President Claudia Sheinbaum welcomed the wins of Gina Hinojosa in Texas and Xavier Becerra in California. Trade, remittances and water are at stake.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum praised the election of Gina Hinojosa as Texas governor and Xavier Becerra as California governor, Texas Public Radio reported. On Nov. 4 she singled out the wins of “two people of Mexican origin” but did not mention either by name.
Both Democrats will lead states with deep economic and family ties to Mexico. Sheinbaum made no forecast on whether the results would calm friction with Washington. She said talks with the Trump administration would go on.
Remittances: money sent home by families in the US
American Community Survey estimates compiled by Neilsberg put the number of people of Mexican origin at 12.7 million in California and 9.5 million in Texas. The totals include immigrants and people born in the United States. Mexican ancestry does not automatically come with dual citizenship.
For many households the connection is money. Remittances to Mexico totaled $61.8 billion in 2025, below the record $64.7 billion of the prior year, and that was the first yearly drop since 2013.
According to BBVA Research, about 1.5 million Mexican households receive remittances, which on average make up roughly 30% of their income. Close to half of the money comes from California and Texas. Texas Public Radio noted that economists cite slower U.S. hiring, fewer new migrants and deportation fears as pressures on these transfers.
Trade and the USMCA
Goods worth $301.8 billion moved between Texas and Mexico in 2025, according to the Texas governor’s economic development office. Mexico is the top export destination for both Texas and California. Factories in Mexico pair up with Texas suppliers, trucking companies and warehouses, and people living near the border also cross for school, shopping and time with relatives.
The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is still in effect even though it was not renewed at its July review. What happens to it matters to businesses and workers in all three countries.
Water from the Rio Grande
A 1944 treaty obliges Mexico to send water from specified Mexican tributaries into the Rio Grande, at least 350,000 acre-feet a year on average over five-year cycles. Texas farms, cities and industry depend on those flows. Mexico also has its own drinking water and irrigation demands to meet, so decisions on deliveries carry political weight in both countries.
What it means for Mexico
Trade pacts, immigration law and water treaties belong to the U.S. federal government, so a governor cannot set them. A governor does manage state resources and can shape how the state approaches Mexico.
Hinojosa has asked for a review of Operation Lone Star and has criticized cooperation between state police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Texas Tribune reported. She takes office in January. Her choices on border enforcement and state spending will affect communities whose families and livelihoods straddle both countries.
Source: Texas Public Radio
