Democrat Gina Hinojosa launches campaign for governor in Texas

By Arlette Saenz, CNN

(CNN) — Texas state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, a Democrat and South Texas native, is launching a run for Texas governor, entering a crowded Democratic primary to challenge Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in 2026.

“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 healthcare,” Hinojosa said in a video launching her campaign. “That’s who Greg Abbott works for. I’m running for governor to work for you.”

The 51-year-old Latina attorney will kick off her campaign Wednesday at a Blue Texas event in her hometown of Brownsville, a city in the Rio Grande Valley where Democrats are hoping to head off the significant gains Republicans have made with Latino voters in recent elections.

In her launch video, Hinojosa taps into her roots in the Valley, citing a Spanish phrase used by her grandmother, “No te dejes,” to say she will “fight back.”

If she wins the Democratic primary, Hinojosa will face an uphill battle in the reliably red state. No Democrat has won statewide office in Texas since 1994. President Donald Trump won there by 13 points in the 2024 election, and Abbott holds a firm grasp on the statehouse as he seeks a fourth term in office.

But Democrats are hoping the party will be competitive in next year’s midterm elections, including a Senate race where both sides are expecting heated primaries.

Hinojosa, whose district includes central Austin, is expected to make education a top issue in her campaign. She previously served as president of the Austin ISD school board, campaigning for a seat after her son’s elementary school faced potential closure due to state budget cuts. She recently sparred with Abbott over school vouchers, calling the proposal a “scam.”

“Don’t mess with Texas moms,” she says in her video.

Hinojosa also joined dozens of her Democratic colleagues in the Texas state House in fleeing the state to stall the Republican redistricting efforts this summer.

Abbott’s campaign on Tuesday called Hinojosa “radical” and said she supports “woke, extreme ideologies.”

“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,” the campaign said in a statement.

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