Washington — Democratic state Representative Gina Hinojosa, running for governor in Texas, said on Sunday that voters across the state share a profound disillusionment with traditional political organizations, creating an opening for a more populist, post-partisan approach.
Speaking on a national public affairs broadcast, Hinojosa argued that conventional politics is widely viewed as dysfunctional. “Right now nobody wants politics as usual. Most of us see that it is broken,” she said, adding that there is “deep disappointment in both political parties” in the Lone Star State.
Hinojosa, 52, is challenging incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott. A civil rights and labor lawyer who has represented parts of Austin in the Texas House since 2017, Hinojosa is seeking to become the first Democratic governor and the first woman to lead the state’s executive branch in three decades. A recent CBS News poll showed Abbott leading Hinojosa by a margin of 52% to 48%.
Because Texas features more registered Republican voters than Democrats, a winning coalition for Hinojosa requires support from across the political spectrum. She asserted that widespread dissatisfaction has pushed residents toward a collaborative path forward, particularly regarding public education. “There is bipartisan anger about what Greg Abbott has done to our public schools,” she stated. “Saving Texas public schools is a key part of my agenda, and that’s why this campaign has resonated amongst Texans.”
Characterizing her platform as populist rather than strictly partisan, Hinojosa emphasized deliverables such as expanding healthcare access for children and combating escalating insurance premiums. She also identified large data center developments as an area of rare cross-party alignment, noting that pushback is coming strongly from rural communities where unincorporated areas are heavily affected.
“This part of Texas is being taken advantage of by these data centers, and the people of Texas and rural Texas are being taken advantage of,” Hinojosa said. She cited significant concerns regarding water usage, electricity costs, and property rights, emphasizing that residents deserve protection and a direct seat at the table.
The campaign discourse has also touched on transparency and governance. Hinojosa recently filed a lawsuit seeking to obtain correspondence between Governor Abbott and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who has contributed millions of dollars to Abbott’s campaign. Referring to the relationship between the governor and the head of Tesla and SpaceX, Hinojosa said, “We need to know what exactly is going on.”
In response, Abbott’s campaign defended the incumbent governor’s record and criticized his opponent. Eduardo Leal, Abbott’s press secretary, told CBS News in a statement that the governor remains focused on elevating Texas education, establishing data center guardrails, eliminating sales tax incentives for data centers, and lowering financial burdens for families.
“Under Governor Abbott’s leadership, Texas public education funding is at an all-time high and average teacher pay has risen by over 30%,” Leal said. “While Gina Hinojosa continues to run from her disastrous record, Governor Abbott will continue crisscrossing the state to talk directly to voters and to keep Texas, Texas.”
Despite the historical advantage held by Republicans in Texas over the past three decades, Hinojosa expressed confidence heading into the final stretch of the race, pointing to high voter turnout and robust enthusiasm among her supporters.
