Michelle Goldberg Examines Gina Hinojosa Campaign in Texas
In a column for nytimes.com, Michelle Goldberg examines the surprising competitiveness of Democrat Gina Hinojosa’s gubernatorial campaign in Texas, arguing that the candidate’s opportunity lies not with country club Republicans, but with disappointed MAGA populists.
Shifting Alliances in Texas Politics
No one was paying attention to Gina Hinojosa a month ago, but the state representative from Austin has drawn notice as she runs a surprisingly competitive race to become governor of Texas. According to an opinion column published by nytimes.com, the campaign’s premise is that a critical mass of voters exists among disillusioned conservatives rather than moderate, affluent Republicans put off by Donald Trump. Hinojosa previously helped lead opposition to a crusade by Republican Governor Greg Abbott to privatize Texas’ public school system.
That education agenda drew bitter opposition from conservative Texans in rural areas where public schools form the center of the community. Lynn Davenport, a lifelong conservative, met Donald Trump backstage at a Texas rally in 2016 and attended his Stop the Steal rally in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, though she left before the Capitol was sacked. In 2024, she served as a delegate to Texas’ Republican convention and a precinct chair. In May, however, she filmed an ad for Hinojosa after the two became friends through their shared opposition to school privatization. Davenport tells nytimes.com that she grew increasingly disgusted with Abbott over schools and the data centers he invited into Texas, describing the governor as a globalist imposing a technocracy that gives tech giants carte blanche.
Strategic Realities of the Populist Pitch
Hinojosa believes the primary opening for Democrats rests with MAGA populists who feel betrayed by current leadership. The columnist notes skepticism toward this analysis, pointing out that Trump’s appeal has never been primarily economic, but rather taps into fear and rage about a country growing less white, less Christian, and less deferential to male authority. On paper, Hinojosa appears ill-suited for that base as a Latina, a former labor lawyer, and one of the more liberal members of the Texas House whose father led the state Democratic Party from 2012 until 2025.
Gina is someone that I can work with, whereas Abbott doesn’t care what I think.
Davenport tells nytimes.com that she decided to support Hinojosa publicly because the candidate listens and possesses a deep mastery of education policy.
