An expanding field in the Democratic primary for Texas Governor. State Representative Gina Hinojosa entered the race last week.
She joins Andrew White, who ran for Governor back in 2018 but lost in the Democratic primary runoff. Hinojosa kicked off her campaign during a rally in her hometown of Brownsville. She has advocated for increased state funding for public schools and was among the sharpest critics of the state’s new school choice program that passed last year.
Jack Fink asked Hinojosa why she is running for Governor and about the essence of her campaign. She told Jack, “I will be the governor for the people of Texas.”
“Right now, we have a governor, Greg Abbott, who prioritizes the interests of, really, the corporate greed that is hurting Texans right now. Greg Abbott has been in office for over a decade, and Texans are struggling with higher costs for housing, higher costs for utility, and schools in crisis. So, we need a governor who will work for the people of Texas, and, not for the well-connected, wealthy elite.”
When asked about the primary against White, she said, “I have a record that spans about a decade of working for the interests of working families, working Texans, and I will be running on that record, but I will be running for November. The stakes are so high, I have a responsibility to put all of my efforts into winning in November and not taking my eye off the prize, so that is my goal for this campaign.”
When it comes to education, Hinojosa was among the sharpest critics of the state’s new school choice program. She said, “Not only is the education being outsourced under this voucher scam, now with the selection of Odyssey, the outsourcing is being outsourced, because it’s just another grift. It is a way to pad the pockets of the well-connected. And so, we need, first, maximum transparency. We need to rein in the spending of taxpayer dollars. That’s $50 million that are being spent on a vendor before any child sits in a desk in a classroom. It is a waste, and yes, we need to focus on our neighborhood schools, pull back any kind of privatization that is taking money out of Texas neighborhood schools and away from taxpayers, and that will be a priority of mine.”
Hinojosa tells Jack that her top priorities if elected include neighborhood public schools, healthcare and housing.
“One of my policy priorities is cashback for renters, actually, because renters pay property taxes, too, but don’t get the benefit of any of these property taxes. We’ve tried to do that in the legislature, but that is a campaign issue I’m running on. Look, property taxes are too high. That is because, again, vendor contracts and misplaced priorities are taking our taxpayer dollars and using them for things that don’t benefit us. I have proposed legislation, I have filed legislation for zero-based budgeting when it comes to education dollars, for instance. Let’s wipe clean these vendor contracts and prioritize what Texans need, I think we’ll find that we have extra money that could be going to priorities that will help Texans.”
Reactions from White and Abbott
White took to social media following Hinojosa’s announcement, posting on X, “I like Gina. She’s a progressive who represents her district well. But this is a statewide race. Democrats need a candidate who will bring together progressives, moderates, and independents to beat Greg Abbott. I’ve been an entrepreneur for 30 years — Greg’s not ready for me.”
In response, Hinojosa told Jack, “I have a record of actually bringing together independents and Republicans with me on issues that matter to Texans. In fact, during the legislative session, I had a press conference with MAGA moms who… some of whom were at January 6th in Washington, D.C, we stood together in support of our neighborhood public schools. We shared the same agenda for our children. I focus on issues that matter to all Texans. And so, I am proud of that record.”
Governor Greg Abbott’s campaign also issued a statement following Hinjosa’s announcement saying, “Gina Hinojosa has proven that she is out of step with Texans. She sides with the defund-the-police movement, supports men competing in women’s sports, backs harmful child modification procedures, embraces reckless open border policies, and opposes critical bail reform that keeps dangerous criminals behind bars. Time and again, Gina Hinojosa chooses woke, extreme ideologies over the safety and security of Texas families. Texans deserve a Governor who will continue to secure the border, fight for safer communities, and uphold family values—not someone who supports failed, radical policies that hurt hardworking Texans.”
When asked for her response to the statement, Hinojosa told Jack, ” So that is such a tired, attack on Democrats, and on me in particular. Let me tell you what Greg Abbott does. He punches down at those with the least power. He distracts you with social issues with one hand, while he takes your money with the other to give to, his wealthy donor friends. And that is something that Texans are starting to see through. This is a governor who has a record of corruption like we’ve never seen in Texas before. Voters are starting to understand that. All I hear in this state is Texans want change, and I am the candidate for governor for change.”