Gina Hinojosa is drawing fresh national Democratic cash as the Texas governor race tightens, with party backers stepping in after polls showed a close contest ahead of the Nov. 3 vote.
Sources told CBS News that Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and the Democratic Governors Association are each committing roughly $1 million to Hinojosa’s campaign, with Pritzker’s gift reported at $1.2 million by people familiar with the decision.
The CBS News report also said Hinojosa’s campaign had about $4 million in cash on hand at the end of last month and that Abbott has outspent her in recent reporting periods.
NBC News reported that Latino leaders in Texas met with the Democratic Governors Association this week to press for bigger investments in the race, and that the meeting highlighted tensions between local leaders and national party operatives.
Hinojosa, a state representative and the Democratic nominee, has said her campaign has momentum, according to the CBS report, while Abbott’s campaign criticized her for relying on out-of-state donors.
Campaign finance filings cited by CBS and local reporting show Abbott has outraised Hinojosa overall, though Hinojosa has reported significant recent fundraising totals that have convinced national Democrats the contest is winnable.
Political strategists and party officials commonly weigh polling and cash-on-hand when deciding where to invest late in a cycle; CBS said the national support followed polls that showed the race in a dead heat.
Hinojosa’s platform emphasizes affordability measures for Texas families, an issue she highlighted in an earlier campaign proposal to send $1,500 checks to households — a plan outlined by her campaign in October.
National attention to the race has also produced intraparty debate: NBC reported Texas Latino leaders urging larger DGA investments and clashing with the DGA’s leadership over the scale of support the state needs.
With under a month to go, national donors and groups are signaling willingness to put seven-figure sums into Texas, a state Democrats have not won at the gubernatorial level since 1990.
The article will continue to track filings and announcements from national committees and the campaigns themselves as new contributions are reported.
Sources
- CBS News — reported Pritzker and the DGA each committing roughly $1 million, Pritzker $1.2M, and Hinojosa’s cash-on-hand figure.
- NBC News — reported Texas Latino leaders meeting with the DGA and pushing for larger national investment in Hinojosa’s campaign.
