Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa said at her first news conference since winning the election that she is closely monitoring a potential sale of state parkland to SpaceX. According to Sina Finance, Hinojosa said she spoke Thursday with the head of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and asked that no action be taken during the transition. Reports said Texas was considering selling Boca Chica State Park, with SpaceX as a potential buyer, but Texas Governor Greg Abbott later said no deal would be put to a vote in the near term.
Hinojosa is the first Democrat elected governor of Texas since 1990. She has signaled that the state's relationship with Elon Musk, the world's richest person, will change. Abbott and other Republicans have strongly supported Musk's business empire. Musk moved to Texas about six years ago and later relocated Tesla and SpaceX headquarters to the state.
“We can have a strong working relationship with Musk and his companies, but it has to be on our terms,” Hinojosa said in a Thursday interview with CNN. “We can't just disregard the people of Texas, and when I take office, that will change.”
Musk previously spent heavily to help Republicans campaign. Tesla and SpaceX shares plunged nearly 11% and 9%, respectively, on Thursday. Their stocks have fallen sharply since Republicans suffered a major defeat in the midterm elections.