Reporting by Rich Matthews
DENTON, Texas — Texas gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa brought her campaign to Texas Woman’s University (TWU), where she criticized Gov. Greg Abbott’s education policies and called for greater support for public schools and teachers.
With the Texas governor’s race entering its final stretch, Hinojosa spent two consecutive days campaigning in North Texas, making the case for her education agenda and a less partisan approach to state leadership.
Hinojosa challenges Abbott on education
Speaking to a crowd that included future teachers, Hinojosa criticized Abbott’s record on public education.
“We know Greg Abbott sold out our Texas public schools and they’re barely hanging on,” Hinojosa said. She described her agenda as focused on “saving Texas public schools” by prioritizing teachers.
Her remarks put education at the center of her campaign stop, with Hinojosa arguing that supporting teachers is essential to securing the American Dream.
Future teachers raise concerns about AI
The discussion also touched on artificial intelligence and its potential role in classrooms.
Teaching students Liv Cantilino and Evelyn Gomez spoke about the importance of human connection in education and their concerns about AI-based classrooms.
“I don’t think having an AI classroom would be beneficial at all,” Gomez said. “It would just be talking to a robot.”
She said students could miss out on meaningful feedback, the tone of a teacher’s voice and the sense that their teachers care about them.
Cantilino said her own experiences with inspiring teachers motivated her to pursue the profession. She also expressed hope that teachers would receive greater respect and be able to earn a living through their work.
Hinojosa calls for a less partisan Texas
Hinojosa also used her North Texas visit to call for a political approach focused less on party divisions and more on delivering for Texans.
She described the Dallas-Fort Worth area as an important place to make the case for a “post-partisan way forward,” saying state leadership should focus on working Texans rather than political divisions.
“We have an opportunity to forge a new way forward, a post-partisan way forward, where we have a governor who works to deliver for working Texans,” Hinojosa said.
She also called for an end to what she described as culture wars and divisions within families, urging Texans to come together.
A long road for Democrats in Texas
The report also places Hinojosa’s campaign in the context of Texas’ recent electoral history.
The last time a Democrat won a statewide election in Texas was 1994, when a Democrat won the lieutenant governor’s race. The last time a Democrat was elected governor was 1990, according to the report.
As the campaign continues, Hinojosa is making public education, support for teachers and a less partisan approach to governing central themes of her message to North Texas voters.
WATCH: Context Corner reporter Rich Matthews reports from Denton on Hinojosa’s visit to TWU, her criticism of Abbott’s education policies, students’ concerns about AI in classrooms and her message in the Texas governor’s race.