Earlier this month, Taegan Goddard wrote on Political Wire that “Heading into the final weeks before Election Day on Nov. 3, polling averages compiled by the website FiftyPlusOne show Democrats ahead in Iowa and Ohio, places where the party hasn’t won a governor’s race since 2006. Races in Georgia, Nevada and Texas are close, with Republicans narrowly ahead in close contests.” Texas’ inclusion on that list may have surprised people, but only if they haven’t met Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee. People who know her, and how smart and hard she works, aren’t surprised at all.
Gina is part of the next generation of Democratic political leadership. She hit the national radar screen as her numbers rose steadily last month. But her story has been interesting for a lot longer than that.
Her Instagram account puts her pitch to voters succinctly: “Running for governor to secure the American Dream by saving Texas schools and putting money in your pocket.” Her website goes into more detail: “Gina Hinojosa is a native Texan, born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley. A proud product of Brownsville public schools, Gina graduated from the University of Texas and received her law degree from George Washington University.” And she is taking it to Greg Abbott, the Republican in the race. Gina decided to run for Governor after Abbott forced mid-decade redistricting to make congressional districts in the state more Republican ahead of this election.
Tonight we get to know Gina, as part of a series of getting to know candidates from other states in a moment where the governor or the attorney general in a state you don’t live in may end up leading the charge to protect your rights. Dig in and get to know this remarkable woman.
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