The Democratic nominee for Texas governor, spoke about her politics and campaign strategy in a one-on-one discussion at TribFest, the Texas Tribune’s annual journalism convention, on Thursday.
During her hour-long interview with the Tribune, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa expressed support for a populist platform that would unite the public interest to focus on affordability and the economy, beyond “culture war” topics and online discourse.
“We have divided ourselves into these tribal camps and fought these culture wars, and meanwhile, the only people who have won are, like, 15 billionaire tech dudes who are amassing all our money, all our power, all our data and are about to blow up the world” Hinojosa said.
Hinojosa described her positive interactions with voters on both sides of the political spectrum, arguing that her opponent, the incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott, sold out his mostly rural base in favor of “the moneyed interest,” such as developers and tech companies.
“People are looking for a way to move on,” Hinojosa said. “The future feels very scary for so many Texans, and so it’s just created this opportunity for us to come together. And I do feel like it is a watershed moment, almost a postpartisan moment, where 99% of us are in the same boat.”
Hinojosa has served as a representative in the Texas House of Representatives since 2017. The district she represents contains much of central and downtown Austin, including the University.
In response to an audience question regarding recent racist remarks from online commentators, including statewide candidate Bo French, who posted controversial social media posts with a photo featuring non-white students, Hinojosa offered a different answer to the “culture war” debate.
When asked if she considered herself a progressive, Hinojosa rejected the label, instead opting to refer to herself as an “economic populist.” Pointing to her background as a labor lawyer and state representative, she said that as governor she would continue her aim of putting workers’ rights and the public at the center of her agenda.
“I haven’t changed who I am, or really what I’ve been about,” Hinojosa said. “We just have, I think, now a different understanding of what’s been happening all these years.”
