Read about Gina Hinojosa's Democratic platforms for Texas Governor

Read Gina Hinojosa's Democratic primary candidate questionnaire for the Texas Governor race.

Note: The USA TODAY Network only edited the response to comply with journalistic standards and did not change any responses.

Current occupation: State Representative

Q: Texas has experienced significant population growth and economic expansion. How would you manage this growth while addressing infrastructure needs, water resources, and quality of life for Texans?

A: Texas is a global economic powerhouse because it’s a great place to grow up, live, and start a family. But for too long, only Greg Abbott and his billionaire donors have reaped the benefits while hardworking Texans have seen their costs skyrocket.

My first priority as governor will be to end the corruption and restore a state government that works for the people of our state. I will wipe the slate clean of wasteful vendor contracts and invest in the infrastructure we need. While lowering taxes for middle-class families, our tax revenue should be used to fix our crumbling infrastructure and make Texas a better place to live. I will put our tax dollars back into our people where they belong—through lower taxesand better public services for the money we spend.

Q: How do your platforms and approach to governing Texas differ from other candidates in your party's primary?

A: My approach to governing Texas is built on a lifetime of fighting for working families, public education, affordable health care, and real economic opportunity, not corporate handouts. As a civil rights and union lawyer and a former school board president, I’ve spent my career standing with hardworking Texans. In the Texas House, I helped secure billions of dollars for public schools, fought to strengthen health care access, and exposed policies that divert publicresources to wealthy interests.

Most importantly, I never thought I would do this. I wasn’t interested in politics, but my son’s school was threatened for closure and I became a mad mom on a mission to keep it open. My time in public service has been defined by that same desire to make state government work for working people—and I would carry it with me into the Governor’s Office. I carry a strong track record of building coalitions, winning populist reforms, and challenging the status quo to make our state more fair and affordable for all Texans.

Q: Property taxes and the cost of living are major concerns for Texas families. What role should the governor play in addressing these issues, and what specific actions would you take?

A: Texans are feeling squeezed. From rising property taxes to skyrocketing costs for health care, housing, and essential goods, things just aren’t as easy as they used to be. The governor should have a direct role in shaping a state budget and setting priorities that ease these burdens, support working families, and create economic opportunity.

As governor, I would:

• Push for meaningful property tax relief by prioritizing state revenue strategies that reduce the need for high local tax rates, especially for homeowners and renters.
• Support comprehensive tax reform that protects public services while lowering rates for families, and ensure neighborhood schools are properly funded so local school districts aren’t forced to raise taxes just to keep teachers in the classroom.
• Combat rising costs by holding corporate monopolies accountable, from health care to insurance.
• Encourage economic policies that support small businesses and workers rather than tax breaks or loopholes for large corporations that shift burdens onto ordinary Texans.

Texas should be affordable for all of us, not just for the billionaires and megacorporations.

Q: Texas has faced challenges with its power grid, natural disasters, and emergency management. How would you ensure Texas is prepared for future crises, and what reforms, if any, are needed?

A: Texans should have faith in our state government’s ability to manage crises. But our current leadership has prioritized shifting blame and corporate handouts over saving lives.

As governor, I would:

• Strengthen energy infrastructure resilience so that weather events don’t cause catastrophic outages. While I support energy diversity and innovation, we must hold utilities accountable to rigorous reliability standards and grid planning that protects our communities.
• Modernize emergency preparedness systems so response plans are coordinated, transparent, and built to minimize loss of life.
• Expand disaster assistance programs like the ones I’ve championed in the legislature to help communities recover more quickly when storms hit.

During Winter Storm Uri in February 2021, the former head of ERCOT testified that he kept electricity prices at $9,000 per megawatt hour based on Governor Abbott’s specific instructions. Abbott’s decision to keep prices artificially high cost Texas ratepayers an estimated $37.7 billion in excess energy costs, which families across the state are still paying off through their monthly utility bills.

Texans have enough to worry about when winter weather hits: keeping warm and keeping their families fed, being sure they have what they need in case of an emergency. They should not be worried about whether our leaders are going to take advantage of us, as Abbott did in 2021 when he let utility companies get rich off the suffering of Texas families during Winter Storm Uri.

Q: The Texas-Mexico border presents complex challenges involving security, trade, immigration, and local communities. As governor, how would you approach border policy within your constitutional authority?

A: Politicians in D.C. and Austin have gotten it wrong on border security. Biden's failed policies lost the trust of Texans. But Abbott's extremist policies aren’t any better. Abbott has wasted 10 billion dollars on an ineffective program that enriches his donors while Trump’s ICE bullies and harasses anyone in their way, including citizens. As governor, I would prioritize commonsense policies that keep the border secure while treating hard-working members of our communities with dignity.

The border is not a political prop, it’s home to millions of Texans and a cornerstone of our economy—and it’s where I grew up. Any serious governor has to approach border policy with both responsibility and respect for the communities who live there. As governor, I would focus on practical solutions within the state’s authority: investing in modern infrastructure at ports of entry, supporting local law enforcement and emergency responders, and working in coordination with federal partners rather than staging political stunts that waste taxpayer money.

Q: What is your philosophy on the balance between state and local government authority? Are there areas where you believe the state should have more control, or where local governments should have more freedom?

A: I believe decisions should be made as close to the people they affect as possible. Local leaders understand their communities far better than politicians in Austin looking to score political points. State leaders keep overriding local decisions for political reasons, even when it makes communities less safe and less prosperous. I reject that approach. As governor, I would restore local control while ensuring the state upholds our basic freedoms, public safety, and access to essential services. The role of the state should be to fortify communities, not punish them. Strong local governments make a stronger Texas.

Q: Texas has a strong economy but also faces challenges with healthcare access, poverty, and inequality. What role should the state government play in addressing these issues?

A: Texas’s economy ranks among nations, but too many working Texans aren’t feeling that prosperity in their daily lives. A strong economy only matters if it works for the people who power it. Texans are working more but getting less. As governor, I will cut taxes and give cash back to renters, make health care more affordable by taking on corporate insurance and Big Pharma, cut taxes for families and small businesses, and expand job opportunities andbuilding and technical training. Texas can be both economically strong and deliver better health care to its people.

Mateo Rosiles is a reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and USA TODAY Network in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him: [email protected].