Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott easily defeated Democratic challenger Wendy Davis after a long contentious campaign to become the first newly elected governor in 14 years.

“Tonight, Texans sent a message,” Abbott said in his victory speech Tuesday night. “You voted for hope over fear, for unity over division, for the majesty of what Texas is and what it can be.”

Davis never gave Abbott a serious challenge, but she became the most high profile Texas Democrat since Ann Richards served as governor in the early 1990s. She rose to prominence last year after launching a 13-hour filibuster to protest strict abortion protections enacted by the state legislature.

Abbott held a commanding 60 to 39 point lead Tuesday evening with 76 percent of the vote counted. His wife and teenage daughter flanked him when he took to the stage to thank supporters.

He referred to his disability in his speech, saying, “I’m living proof that a young man can have his life broken in half and still rise up to be the governor of this great state. … As governor, I will ensure Texas remains a state that provides that brand of opportunity.”

During his tenure as attorney general, Abbott became a fierce states rights advocate. He’s filed 30 lawsuits against the Obama administration in the past six years. Abbott drew the ire of the disability community when he fought a 2003 federal lawsuit filed by a blind Texas Tech professor who sued the school after it refused to install high contrast tape in the hallways. In his defense, Abbott contended Texas was exempt from ADA regulations on physical access and accommodations because it was protected by the constitutional principle of “sovereign immunity.” The state lost the lawsuit.

Abbott was born in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1957. He received his law degree from Vanderbilt University. In 1984, Abbott became a paraplegic when a massive oak tree fell on him while he was jogging. He was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court in 1995 by then Governor George W. Bush before serving three terms as State Attorney General.