# Gina Hinojosa’s Populism for Democrats

> Texas Democratic governor candidate Gina Hinojosa uses populist tactics to challenge Republican incumbent Greg Abbott.
- Title: Gina Hinojosa’s Populism for Democrats · The New Yorker
- Summary: Texas Democratic governor candidate Gina Hinojosa uses populist tactics to challenge Republican incumbent Greg Abbott. Gina Hinojosa, a Texas Democratic…
- Keywords: gina hinojosa, texas, democrats, governor, greg abbott, populism, election, data centers, vouchers, latino voters, politics, news
- Source: The New Yorker — https://newyorker.com/news/the-lede/gina-hinojosas-populism-for-democrats
- Author: Stephania Taladrid
- Published: 2026-10-24T10:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: gina hinojosa, texas, democrats, governor, greg abbott, populism, election, data centers, vouchers, latino voters, politics, news
## Gina Hinojosa’s Populism
Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic candidate for governor of Texas, quotes Steve Bannon’s maxim: 'As goes Tarrant County, so goes Texas, and so goes the world.'

> As goes Tarrant County, so goes Texas, and so goes the world.
## Tarrant County Shift
Democrats flipped a Senate seat held by Republicans for over thirty years in Tarrant County, a traditionally Republican area.
## Hinojosa’s Campaign Strategy
Hinojosa aims to build a post-partisan campaign focusing on economic issues rather than ideological debates.
## Economic Challenges in Texas
Texas has the country’s highest proportion of uninsured residents, with one in six households unable to afford food reliably.
## School Voucher Bill
Abbott passed a voucher bill funneling hundreds of millions of dollars into private schools, drawing criticism for gutting public school budgets.
## Hinojosa’s School Focus
Hinojosa fights to protect public schools, noting they are the largest employer in rural counties and struggling to retain teachers.
## Latino Voter Shift
Hinojosa leads Abbott 56-40 among likely Latino voters, a key demographic in Texas with over fifty percent of the state’s Latino vote.
## Hinojosa’s Pregnancy Story
Hinojosa shared her decision to carry a pregnancy to term despite a fetal anomaly diagnosis, a story that resonated with women in focus groups.
## Data Center Policy
Hinojosa prioritizes regulating data centers, which have become a popular issue among voters of both parties in Texas.
## Abbott’s Data Center Shift
Abbott reversed his position on data centers, announcing a moratorium on new developments and an audit of water and energy use.
## Campaign Funding
Hinojosa has been begging, borrowing, and stealing every dollar to fund her campaign, with recent support from the Democratic Governors Association.
## Latino Leader Support
Dozens of Latino leaders urged the Democratic Governors Association to commit ten million dollars to Hinojosa’s campaign, which offered a million.
## Hinojosa’s Election Goal
Hinojosa aims to win the governorship by making the election a referendum on Abbott’s record rather than national Republican politics.
## Key takeaway

Gina Hinojosa, a Texas Democratic candidate, aims to win the governorship by focusing on economic issues and voter discontent with Republican policies.