More than 70 Latino Democratic leaders are urging the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) to commit $10 million to the Texas governor race after a poll showed Democrat Gina Hinojosa narrowly ahead of Republican incumbent Greg Abbott.
The New York Times/Siena College survey, released on Saturday, put Ms Hinojosa three points ahead of Mr Abbott. The result remained within the poll’s margin of error, but Democrats have seized on it as evidence that the contest could be competitive.
Ms Hinojosa continues to face a substantial financial disadvantage. Mr Abbott’s campaign and Republican allies are outspending her by roughly 10 to one.
In a letter sent this week, Latino Democratic leaders from across the US called on the DGA and its chairman, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, to increase their investment in the race.
Mr Beshear, who is viewed as a potential Democratic presidential contender in 2028, has been limited by the organisation’s commitments to protecting incumbent Democratic governors seeking re-election. Some of those governors are currently in strong positions.
Julián Castro, the former mayor of San Antonio and former secretary of housing and urban development, renewed the appeal after the poll was released.
“How much more evidence” of Ms Hinojosa’s “strength in Texas” would Mr Beshear and the DGA “have to see before they support her in a real way?” Mr Castro wrote. “She can win!”
The renewed pressure comes as Democrats increasingly portray the Lone Star state as contestable in the closing weeks of the campaign, despite the spending gap described by some Republicans as a “firewall”.
Texas remains a difficult state for Democrats: President Trump won it by nearly 14 points in 2024, while Mr Abbott is seeking a fourth term as governor.
