TEXAS — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa says she wants to do away with tax breaks for special interests, put more state money toward public schools and put money from the state’s rainy day fund back into Texans’ pockets.

The Austin progressive has rebranded herself as an “economic populist” during her run against incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, in a campaign in which she has voiced a backlash against billionaires and industries, like data centers, that she says are getting a better deal from the state than average Texans.

“When I am governor, I will call on the Legislature to work with me to cut out that grift and make sure to cut up all the corporate welfare because that is Greg Abbott’s economic plan,” she told Spectrum News’ Capital Tonight. “It is this trickle-down approach where the economic wealth never reaches the people of Texas.”

The five-term Austin state representative said she would end sales tax breaks the Legislature approved for data centers that are currently costing the state more than $1 billion a year and could cost more than $3 billion in the next two years.

“I think we need to review all of the corporate welfare that we give out in this state,” she said. “We just can’t afford to keep doing this. It’s not working for the people of Texas.”

But Hinojosa lacked specifics on the details of some of her policy proposals. Of her pitch to wind down the state’s Economic Stabilization Fund to $10 billion and give the remainder back to Texans in the form of a one-time $1,500 check to every household, she said lawmakers would need to sort out the details — including whether undocumented immigrants living in Texas would be eligible.

“It will be up to the Legislature to decide the terms of that legislation to send that money back,” she said. “My guess is no, they will not want to send it to undocumented immigrants, and that is not my plan either. But the details of the legislation will be decided by the Legislature.”

Hinojosa also pushed back against recent attacks by Abbott that she voted against banning a state income tax. In 2019, state lawmakers proposed a constitutional amendment to ban a state income tax. Hinojosa voted against it.

Hinojosa said she did so because the Texas Constitution already had a provision, named after former Democratic Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock, that required any income tax to first be approved by a majority of voters. She called the 2019 proposal “political theater.”

“I would never implement a state income tax,” she said. “The governor does not believe I will. That is preposterous.”

Hinojosa also pronounced herself against an expansion of the school voucher program that sends up to $10,000 in state money to qualifying families that want to send their children to private schools. The program was approved last session, and Hinojosa, a former school board member, was one of its biggest opponents — arguing that it would take money away from public schools and students most in need.

A recent report by the comptroller’s office showed that 75% of families that applied for the program already attended private school or were homeschooled. Acting Comptroller Don Huffines recently proposed doubling the program’s funding to $2 billion.

“I don’t think it should be expanded, and I will do everything in my power to use that money to put back into our public schools,” she said.

Hinojosa also tried to soothe concerns from voters who feared that a Democrat would be soft on illegal crossings at the border, pledging to follow state laws that have already been approved around immigration enforcement and saying she would do so at a lower cost than the trillions of dollars Abbott and Republicans have spent on border security.

“I will work with the federal government or whomever to make sure our borders are secure,” she said.