Gina Hinojosa

Gina Hinojosa is a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives from Austin. She was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley and attended Brownsville public schools. She graduated from the University of Texas and earned her law degree from George Washington University. She began her career as a civil rights and union lawyer representing workers, and in 2005 she was part of the legal team that sued U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. She ran for the Austin Independent School District board after parents organized to keep her son's elementary school open, won the seat, and was named board president by fellow trustees in 2015. She was later elected to the Texas House. She opened her campaign for governor in October 2025 in Brownsville. In the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary she defeated eight other candidates, among them former U.S. Representative Chris Bell, Angela Villescaz and Patricia Abrego, and won the nomination. She faces Republican Governor Greg Abbott, who is seeking reelection, on November 3, 2026.