AUSTIN (Nexstar) — State Representative Gina Hinojosa announced she is running to become the first Democratic governor in Texas in 30 years. The Rio Grande Valley native will officially launch her campaign in Brownsville on Wednesday night.
Hinojosa started her career as a labor lawyer before being elected to the Austin Independent School District school board. She was elected to the State House in 2016 and has served the Austin area in the Capitol since.
When asked about her intentions in running for governor, Hinojosa said that Texans need a governor that “prioritizes the needs of Texans, as opposed to the billionaire class, which is what we’re seeing Governor Greg Abbott do.”
Hinojosa has been one of the harshest critics of Governor Greg Abbott, who is running for his fourth consecutive term. Following her annoucement, Abbott’s campaign manager, Kim Snyder, released a statement:
“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.”
Hinojosa said that the issue most important to her this election cycle is affordability and healthcare.
“We know that many Texans, too many Texans, can’t afford basic health care. For instance, in Texas, our uninsured rate is two times the national average. We can fix this. We can put over a million more Texans on health insurance if we simply accept those federal funds that Texans have already paid to the federal government to cover our health insurance.”
Hinojosa has been a vocal proponent of public education in her time at the Capitol, a personal issue for her.
“When my son’s school was threatened for closure, I got mad. I was just a mad mom and I ran for the school board and won. The big issue that I found there is the state’s not giving public schools the money that they should, the money that we pay into for property taxes.”
She was one of the loudest opponents — along with her Democratic House colleagues — against the effort to create education savings accounts (ESA) in Texas. ESAs give families public dollars to help them pay for a private education for their child.
ESAs were a huge priority for Abbott, who is running for his fourth consecutive term as the top official in the state. According to a poll conducted by The Texas Politics Project in August, 40% of those polled said they either strongly or somewhat approved of Abbott, while 50% said they either strongly or somewhat disapproved of him.
Hinojosa joins a crowded Democratic primary. Andrew White, who campaigned for the Democratic nomination in 2018, announced his campaign in September. Hinojosa will also go up against Bobby Cole, a retired firefighter and poultry producer; Nick Pappas, a retired United States Marine; and Meagan Tehseldar, a teacher.
Abbott is currently facing one challenger in the Republican primary. That is Ronnie Tullos, a full-time construction worker and part-time police officer.
Hinojosa will make her official campaign launch in Brownsville at the Historic Alonso building at 6:30 p.m.
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