Three seats on the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, including the one held by board Chairman Robert Albritton, come up for appointment on Feb. 1, 2027, giving Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa an early say over the system's governing board, KBTX reported Thursday.
The system's own regent biographies list Feb. 1, 2027 as the end of the terms held by Albritton of Fort Worth, James R. "Randy" Brooks and William "Bill" Mahomes Jr. of Dallas. Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Albritton and Mahomes in 2015 and reappointed both in 2021, and he named Brooks to the board in 2021, according to those biographies.
How the appointments work
State law gives the A&M System a nine-member board of regents named by the governor "with the advice and consent of the senate." Members serve staggered six-year terms, and three terms end on Feb. 1 of every odd-numbered year. The board's current roster also lists a student regent, Lisa D. Cantu, alongside the nine voting members.
Under the Texas Constitution, a governor's appointments need the approval of two-thirds of the senators present. That makes the makeup of the Texas Senate important: The Texas Tribune reported Wednesday that the chamber keeps a Republican majority after Tuesday's election, though it will be presided over by Democratic Lieutenant Governor-elect Vikki Goodwin.
The governor does not pick the chairman. Texas law has the board elect its own chairman from among its members, and the board chose Albritton for the post on April 22, 2025, according to his system biography.
KBTX noted that if Hinojosa reappoints him, nothing about his chairmanship changes automatically; if she names someone else to his seat, the board would choose its leadership on its own schedule.
Part of a wider turnover
KBTX reported that 11 voting regent seats in four public university systems, UT, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Texas State, open up in February. The Tribune noted that the term of UT System Board of Regents Chair Kevin Eltife is among those ending.
Hinojosa has not said publicly whom she might name to the A&M board or whether she would reappoint any current regents. KBTX reported that the A&M System said it was not yet offering any view on how a new governor might affect its board.
Regents set direction for the system's universities and agencies, including budgets, construction and the hiring of top leaders. Results of Tuesday's election remain unofficial until they are canvassed.
