# Gina Hinojosa's Rise to Texas Governor Race > Gina Hinojosa, a former Austin state rep, becomes Greg Abbott's toughest Democratic rival in Texas governor race. - Title: Gina Hinojosa's Rise to Texas Governor Race · Texastribune - Summary: Gina Hinojosa, a former Austin state rep, becomes Greg Abbott's toughest Democratic rival in Texas governor race. Gina Hinojosa, a five-term state… - Keywords: gina hinojosa, greg abbott, texas governor, democratic party, texas house, school vouchers, public education, mexican american, latina governor, texas politics, news, local - Source: Texastribune — https://feeds.texastribune.org/link/16799/17499113/gina-hinojosa-greg-abbott-texas-governor-race - Read time: 2 min - Topics: gina hinojosa, greg abbott, texas governor, democratic party, texas house, school vouchers, public education, mexican american, latina governor, texas politics, news, local ## Gina Hinojosa's Campaign Launch Gina Hinojosa, a five-term state representative from Austin, initially considered running for state comptroller but decided to challenge Greg Abbott for governor. ## Abbott's Dominance Gov. Greg Abbott won all three previous elections by double digits with an $86 million war chest, making Hinojosa's bid a sacrificial lamb. ## Hinojosa's Strategy Hinojosa focused on public education and anti-voucher policies, becoming a key figure in defeating Abbott's school voucher program in the 2023 legislative session. ## Early Polling Challenges Hinojosa's early polling showed her trailing Abbott by nine percentage points, with Abbott ignoring her for months and targeting U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico instead. ## Turning Point At the Texas Democratic Convention in Corpus Christi on June 26, 2026, Hinojosa delivered a populist message about public schools and economic fairness. > There is one fight that unites us all, and it is the only fight that matters in 2026. Are we going to be a Texas by and for the people? Or is this great state the billionaires’ world and the rest of us just live here? ## Polling Shift Five public polls now show Abbott trailing Hinojosa, a first across his three gubernatorial campaigns, despite Abbott's six-to-one ad spending advantage. ## Hinojosa's Populist Message Hinojosa's campaign promises fully funding public schools, $1,500 checks to all Texas families, and slashing government waste to address public education and economic inequality. ## Abbott's Attacks Abbott's campaign labeled Hinojosa a 'Gender Bender Gina' and accused her of supporting policies that would destroy the Texas miracle, including a state income tax and school vouchers. > Gina was the most radical of her cohorts, and her votes offer an alarming preview of the socialist polices Gina plans to impose if elected governor. ## Hinojosa's Response Hinojosa dismissed Abbott's attacks, stating that people know who Abbott is and that his loss is due to his focus on culture wars rather than economic issues. > As people get to know who I am, they’re with me. People know who Greg Abbott is. They know what he’s about, and that is why he is losing. ## Key Voter Groups Hinojosa's winning coalition hinges on Latino voters and 'MAGA moms', suburban women and conservative voters upset over public education in Texas. > Polling has consistently found her up among Latino voters, and a Marist University survey showed her winning 49% of suburban women and a third of rural voters. ## Campaign Strategy Hinojosa's campaign has targeted rural communities and data centers, using ads that frame Abbott as a government servant to billionaires and Big Tech. > The data centers piece is the latest physical manifestation of a government and a governor who’s been working for the monied interests. ## Hinojosa's Populist Shift Hinojosa dropped the 'progressive' label, focusing on populism and economic issues to appeal to right-leaning voters and avoid culture wars. > The term progressive has become associated with more culture war issues. I just think this moment in time is about populism. ## Abbott's Campaign Response Abbott's campaign has attacked Hinojosa's voting record, claiming she is a 'tax hiker' who supports policies that would destroy the Texas economy. > Tax Hiker Hinojosa is so desperate to gain the support of Texans that she has resorted to gaslighting them. ## Campaign Momentum By mid-September, Hinojosa led Abbott in polls for the first time, with Abbott's negative ads failing to reverse the trend. ## Hinojosa's One-Year Milestone One year after launching her campaign, Hinojosa stated that Texas belongs to working people and that it is already possible to become governor. > One year ago today we launched this campaign, and everyone from the D.C. establishment to billionaire donors said we didn’t have a chance. I know who I’m fighting for, because I know who Texas belongs to. So in 2026, don’t let them tell you it can’t happen in Texas, because as I have seen throughout this year, it already is. ## Key takeaway Gina Hinojosa, a five-term state representative from Austin, has become Greg Abbott's most viable Democratic challenger in the Texas governor race.