Gina Hinojosa says there is “deep disappointment from both political parties” in Texas right now

Washington- Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, a Democratic candidate for governor of Texas, said Sunday there was “deep disappointment from both political parties” in the Lone Star State, prompting a new path forward that she said is “post-partisan in some ways.”

“Right now, no one wants politics as usual. Most of us see that it is broken,” Hinojosa said on “Face the Nation“.

Hinojosa, 52, is facing Gov. Greg Abbott in Texas. A civil rights and labor attorney who has represented parts of Austin in the Texas House since 2017, Hinojosa would be the first Democratic governor and first woman to lead the state in the governor’s mansion in three decades. A recent CBS News poll Abbott led Hinojosa, 52% to 48%.

But in a state like Texas, which has more registered Republican voters than Democrats, Hinojosa will need support from both sides to achieve victory. She argued that the deep disappointment she described in both parties has pushed Texans to forge “a new path forward.”

“There is bipartisan anger over what Greg Abbott has done to our public schools,” she said. “Saving Texas public schools is a key part of my agenda, and that’s why this campaign resonated with Texans.”

Hinojosa said his agenda “is not a Democratic agenda” but rather a populist agenda aimed at meeting the expectations of Texans. She cited access to health care for children and combating high insurance premiums as key areas of focus.

She also highlighted data centers as an issue Texans can find agreement on. She said, “No one opposes data centers harder than MAGA, because these data centers are mostly moving into our rural, unincorporated communities. »

“This part of Texas is exploited by these data centers, as are the people of Texas and rural Texas,” she said. “There are big issues related to water, electricity costs, property rights, and so we need to go through everything and make sure Texans are protected, and first and foremost have a seat at the table.”

The comments come as Hinojosa filed a lawsuit seeking emails between Abbott and Elon Musk, who donated millions to Abbott’s campaign. She said, “We need to know exactly what’s going on,” pointing to the relationship between Abbott and Musk, the CEO of Texas-based Tesla and SpaceX.

The Democrat expressed optimism about her chances in next week’s election, although Texas has been a reliably red state for more than 30 years.

“The turnout is high, the enthusiasm is high on our end, so we’re really happy with where we are,” she said.