Recent polling suggests the Texas governor’s race may be tightening, though Republican Gov. Greg Abbott remains the favorite in his bid for another term.
A Texas Public Opinion Research survey of 1,018 likely general election voters, conducted April 17–20, found Abbott leading Democrat Gina Hinojosa 48% to 43%, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points. The poll also found Hinojosa leading among independents and moderates, while Abbott continued to benefit from Republican strength in a state.
No Democrat has won the race for Texas governor since 1990.
Hinojosa, a Democratic state representative from Austin, is running as a public education advocate and critic of Abbott’s school voucher agenda. She was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley, graduated from the University of Texas and worked as a civil rights and labor lawyer before serving on the Austin ISD school board and later winning a seat in the Texas House.
Her campaign is emphasizing affordability, health care and public schools, arguing that Texas families are being squeezed by rising costs. Abbott, meanwhile, is leaning on incumbency, a large fundraising advantage and a law-and-order message, including new proposals to increase state oversight of local prosecutors.
Abbott also enters the race with a huge financial edge. The Texas Tribune reported in January that he had $105.7 million on hand, while Hinojosa had raised about $1 million in the first 10 weeks of her campaign.
The race remains an uphill climb for Democrats, but the latest numbers show Hinojosa has moved close enough to force Republicans to take the challenge seriously.
Guest:
Gina Hinojosa is a state representative for the 49th District. She is the Democratic nominee for Texas Governor.
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