Texas Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Calls for a Post-Partisan Break From a Broken Two-Party System
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Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa says Texans are fed up with both corporate-backed parties and is pitching a broad, worker- and family-focused agenda centered on public schools, children’s health care and limits on data-center expansion.
Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic candidate for Texas governor, told "Face the Nation" that voters are "deeply disappointed in both political parties" and that many Texans are looking for a "post-partisan" alternative. She said the prevailing sentiment is that "politics as usual" is no longer acceptable because the system is perceived as broken and unresponsive to ordinary people.
Hinojosa, a civil-rights and labor lawyer who has served in the Texas House since 2017, is challenging incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott. A recent CBS News poll showed Abbott ahead 52% to 48%. Because Texas has more registered Republican voters, Hinojosa said she must win support well beyond the Democratic base and speak to people frustrated with the status quo.
"There is bipartisan anger about what Greg Abbott has done to our public schools," Hinojosa said, adding that improving Texas public schools is a central part of her campaign and a response to years of neglect.
She emphasized that her platform is not narrowly a Democratic one but a populist agenda aimed at delivering for all Texans, highlighting child health-care access and high insurance premiums as urgent priorities for families struggling under a system she portrays as rigged for the powerful. Hinojosa also pointed to data-center development in rural areas as a point of common concern, noting issues such as water usage, electricity costs and property-rights impacts on local communities.
The candidate has filed a lawsuit seeking emails between Abbott and Elon Musk, citing the need for transparency about the governor’s relationship with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, who has contributed millions to Abbott’s campaign and symbolizes the concentration of wealth and influence around state politics.
Despite Texas’s long-standing Republican lean, Hinojosa expressed optimism about voter turnout and enthusiasm for her campaign.
"Turnout is high, enthusiasm is high on our side, so we feel really good about where we are," she said.