Texas will vote to elect a governor in the elections on November 3. The candidates seeking the office in the Capitol are the current governor, Greg Abbott, who is seeking re-election once again, and Gina Hinojosa, a state representative who has come to shake up the electoral foundations with her campaign. According to U.S. Census statistics, the state of Texas has 29,149,505 residents, of whom 11,441,717 are of Hispanic or Latino origin. Millions of them are eligible to vote, and both candidates have sought to appeal to that community. People are eager to vote, and the numbers showed it on the first day of early voting; for example, in Harris County more than one hundred thousand people participated. In Harris County there are about 75 polling places available for the early voting period and the day of the general election.
Gina Hinojosa
Party: Democratic
Background
Born and raised in Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley, Representative Gina Hinojosa proudly represents central Austin. After graduating from the George Washington National Law Center, in Washington, D.C., Gina began her professional career as a civil rights and labor law attorney, representing members of various unions. She began public service as a member of the Austin Independent School District (AISD) board, after being elected with a platform focused on preventing the public school she attended from closing. Gina ran for the Texas House of Representatives in 2016, motivated by the determination to allocate a larger share of our local property taxes to the public schools in our neighborhoods. Now, she seeks to be the next governor of Texas.
Public Service
- Elected to the board of the Austin Independent School District
- State Representative since 2016
Campaigns
- She ran for and won a seat on the AISD board
- She sought and won a seat as a state representative in 2016 and since then has represented District 49
- Candidate for Governor of Texas in 2026
Platform as Governor
One of her top priorities is education, and she promises to address issues such as eliminating the STAAR test, stopping the takeovers of schools, ending voucher fraud, ensuring an educator leads the Texas Education Agency (TEA), eliminating no-bid contracts, and increasing teachers’ salaries. In addition to topics such as the economy and restrictions on data centers.
Greg Abbott
Party: Republican
Background
The governor Greg Abbott was born in Wichita Falls and grew up in Duncanville. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and earned a law degree from Vanderbilt University. Governor Abbott is married to Cecilia, a former teacher and former principal, who is the first Hispanic First Lady of Texas. They have been married since 1981. He was first elected as the 48th governor of Texas in 2014. Before being elected governor, he served as the 50th Attorney General of Texas, becoming the person who has served in that position the longest in the state’s history. He also served as a judge on the Texas Supreme Court and as a state district judge in Harris County.
Public Service
- Trial judge in the 129th District Court in Houston
- Texas Supreme Court, 1996–2001
- Was the 50th Attorney General of Texas from 2002 to 2015
- Governor of Texas since 2015
Campaigns
Candidate for the Texas Supreme Court in 1996 and 1998
Candidate for Texas Attorney General in 2002
Candidate for Governor of Texas in 2014, 2018, 2022 and 20206
Platform for Harris County Judge
Abbott’s re-election campaign platform focuses on reducing property taxes, border security, housing, healthcare affordability, and competition in the energy sector.
Important Dates
October 19: First day of in-person early voting
October 23: Last day to request a mail ballot
October 30: Last day of in-person early voting
November 3: Last day to receive the mail ballot and general election
More information: www.harrisvotes.com
