Texas Democrat Hinojosa Pitches Populist Agenda on Schools, Health Care and Data Centers

Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic candidate for governor of Texas, said voters across party lines are tired of politics as usual and are open to a different approach. Speaking from Austin on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on Oct. 25, 2026, the state representative described the mood in Texas as one of deep disappointment with both parties.

Brennan noted that a Hinojosa win would make her the first Democratic governor and the first female governor in more than 30 years, in a state with more Republicans than Democrats. Hinojosa said her campaign is drawing on that frustration, pointing to what she called a bipartisan push to support public schools. She said six or seven polls from the past six weeks show her winning, that every poll has her within the margin of error, and that turnout and enthusiasm are high on her side.

Asked about the 181 Texas school districts that now operate only four days a week, and about school closures, Hinojosa said funding is a major cause. She said Governor Greg Abbott withheld school funding in 2023 after lawmakers declined to pass vouchers, and that she and James Talarico led the fight against them. According to Hinojosa, Abbott got a voucher program passed last year that took a billion dollars from neighborhood public schools and directed it to unaccountable private schools. She said public schools are part of Texas identity, are protected in the state constitution and are the largest employer in many counties.

On health care, Hinojosa acknowledged she would likely face a Republican-controlled legislature and probably a Republican lieutenant governor. She described her agenda as populist rather than Democratic, centered on making sure every Texas child has quality health care. Texas has the highest number of uninsured children of any state and is among the few that have not expanded Medicaid. She said she also wants to ban bad-faith insurance denials for people who already have coverage.

Pressed on whether she supports expanding Medicaid, Hinojosa said yes, but that she is not campaigning on it. She called it a "geeky" way to talk about insuring people and said her message is about covering children, as laid out in her Secure the American Dream agenda.

Hinojosa also reiterated her call for an immediate moratorium on new data centers until the legislature adopts protections. Abbott has given hyperscale data centers a 20-year tax break and has said he wants Texas to be the epicenter of AI development. Hinojosa said she would repeal those tax breaks and give residents a seat at the table on whether and how data centers come to their communities. She said many are moving into unincorporated rural areas with no zoning rules, raising concerns about water, electricity costs and property rights, and she argued that Republicans are feeling pressure on the issue as well.

The interview closed with questions about Elon Musk, who has given about half a million dollars to Abbott's campaign. Hinojosa has filed a lawsuit seeking emails between Musk and the governor. Brennan asked whether it is risky to go after a major employer in the state. Hinojosa answered that leaders cannot be afraid to do what is right, and said she has both a responsibility and a right as a legislator to see the correspondence.

She cited several reasons for the effort. She said the Parks and Wildlife Board plans to sell Boca Chica Beach to Musk, who she said intends to launch 356 rockets from the site. She also said Musk received $1.7 billion in tax breaks after donating to Abbott, and that Abbott intervened this summer to redirect a $100 million broadband contract to Musk, based on Senate testimony from the director of the broadband office. Brennan ended the segment by saying the program would watch the campaign.