Hinojosa sailed past seven opponents.
By Karen Brooks Harper
Austin Bureau
Cody Duty / Special Contributor
AUSTIN — Democrats nominated state Rep. Gina Hinojosa of Austin for governor Tuesday, rallying around her message that Texans are hungry for change and tired of leaders influenced by money.
The race was called for Hinojosa by 9:30 p.m. as she held a commanding 61% of the vote against seven opponents. Former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell of Houston was a distant second.
“Tonight, working Texans sent a clear message: they’re ready for change,” Hinojosa said in a statement. “From the Rio Grande Valley to East Texas, Texans are united behind one message: we must end the Greg Abbott Corruption Tax and make Texas an affordable place where people can thrive again.”
Gov. Greg Abbott scored a decisive victory over 10 challengers in the GOP primary as he seeks a historic fourth term.
The Dallas Morning News has live election results for races across Dallas-Fort Worth and Texas.
In the Democratic campaign, Hinojosa criticized the influence of billionaires and Washington Republicans on Abbott’s policies, blaming what she called his “corruption tax” for the struggles of Texas families.
Hinojosa, 52, born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley, is a former civil rights lawyer and past Austin school board president. She is serving her fifth term in the Texas House.
She pointed to Abbott’s sliding job approval ratings and the endorsements of several prominent Democrats as evidence her campaign had enough strength to give the governor a serious challenge.
“The people are excited and determined, so I just feed off the energy,” she recently told The Dallas Morning News between campaign stops.
On Tuesday night, she thanked those voters for their support.
“I’m honored that the people of Texas have put their faith in this campaign,” Hinojosa said in a statement. “They are the reason we’re going to win in November — not the special interests who have bought the government, not the corporations profiting off the corruption tax — but working people who are ready for change.”
The self-named “angry mom” favors higher teacher pay, expanded health care access, a minimum wage increase, abortion rights and lower homeowner property taxes with benefits for renters.
“I never wanted to be a politician — I was just an angry mom. But I’ve seen firsthand how Gov. Abbott’s rich donors run Texas at the expense of our schools, our communities, and working families,” Hinojosa said in October. “Texans deserve a governor who will work for them, not the billionaire class.”
Political strategists say the fall fight likely will hinge on turnout, Democrats’ ability to cut GOP margins in fast-growing suburban counties and how closely voters link the candidates to partisan conflicts out of Washington.
Republicans say Abbott’s focus on border security and conservative cultural issues will energize his base, while Democrats say Hinojosa’s emphasis on affordability could attract Texans frustrated with rising costs and willing to consider a change.
Karen Brooks Harper is a Mizzou Tiger who has covered Texas politics in and out of Austin for nearly 30 years. She’s also covered the cartel wars along the TX-MX border, Congress in Mexico City, 3 presidential races, and 6 hurricanes. Raised on blues in the MS Delta, she lives in ATX with her son, her boxing gloves, and her guitar. In that order.
This story, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, is reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’ communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas.
