Texas Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa entered the race for governor on Wednesday, criticizing Republican Gov. Greg Abbott as beholden to big donors in an uphill bid to become the first Democrat to hold the office since 1995.
Hinojosa, who represents Austin, joins a race without big-name challengers and is overshadowed in Texas by a competitive U.S. Senate contest. She fiercely criticized a $1 billion private school voucher program in Texas. She joined the Democrats’ walkout this summer, which temporarily delayed the passage of redrawn U.S. House maps sought by President Donald Trump.
Abbott, seeking a record fourth term, has won each of his last three races by double-digits and his campaign is sitting on more than $80 million, underscoring the tall task facing any challenger.
“Our fight right now is against the billionaires and the corporations who are driving up prices, closing our neighborhood schools and cheating Texans out of basic health care. That’s who Greg Abbott works for,” she said in a video announcing her candidacy. “I’m running for governor to work for you.”
Abbott’s campaign manager, Kim Snyder, criticized Hinojosa as being out of step with most Texans.
Hinojosa was set to kick off her campaign with an event in her hometown of Brownsville along the U.S.-Mexico border, where Republicans have been making fast inroads with Hispanic voters.
Other Democrats in the race include Andrew White, the son of former Texas Gov. Mark White, who is running again after narrowly losing the Democratic primary in 2018.
The primary is Tuesday, March 3, 2026. The winners of the primary will face off in the midterm uniform election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.