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Latino Democrats press Andy Beshear to broaden the map and boost the Texas race
Latino Democratic leaders and operatives are urging the Democratic Governors Association to put more muscle behind Gina Hinojosa’s bid in Texas. POLITICO reported that the push has exposed deeper frustration over the party’s approach to Latino voters.
A group of Latino Democratic officials, lawmakers and operatives is pressing Andy Beshear, the Kentucky governor who chairs the Democratic Governors Association, to step up support for Gina Hinojosa in the Texas governor’s race, according to POLITICO.
POLITICO reported that the group sent a letter earlier this month asking the DGA to commit $10 million to Hinojosa’s challenge against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. They pointed to multiple polls that they say show her within reach and argued that a major investment in Texas could help Democrats regain footing with Latino voters while pursuing a statewide win that has long eluded them there.
The DGA’s reply, reviewed by POLITICO, praised Hinojosa and highlighted support it has already provided through staffing and research in coordination with the campaign. But the Latino organizers said the response stopped short of any firm promise to increase financial backing. In that message, the group was asked to help raise the money needed to widen the electoral map.
After receiving the response, the coalition said it requested a meeting with Beshear and did not hear back. The DGA, however, told POLITICO that it has not ruled out further spending in Texas and that it has been working directly with Hinojosa’s team since the launch of her campaign.
Beshear told POLITICO that the organization is already covering expenses and recently added staff. He also said his goal as DGA chair is to win as many races as possible by playing offense and expanding the map.
Hinojosa said the DGA has been a strong partner from the start and that her campaign has a solid working relationship with the group. Asked whether she expects a late investment, she said she hopes it happens.
POLITICO noted that the DGA is also focused on more competitive governor’s races in states such as Arizona and Nevada, where it has already made seven-figure investments and has been running Spanish-language ads in Arizona since May. Beshear last week announced a new fund aimed at broadening the map and gathering more resources to flip additional seats, something that could eventually aid races like Texas.
Still, frustration is growing among Latino Democrats backing Hinojosa, who described what they see as a dismissive attitude from party leadership. Sergio Gonzalez, one of the operatives behind the letter, told POLITICO the broader issue is how Democrats build the coalition they need to succeed, and he argued that Hinojosa is part of that effort.
Jess Rocketto, another operative involved in organizing the letter, told POLITICO that even after Hinojosa improved her standing, the DGA still has not moved toward a larger investment. Other signers, including one who spoke anonymously, warned the outlet that failing to back her now could make it much harder to recruit strong Latino candidates in Texas in the future and deepen the party’s problems with those voters.
According to POLITICO, the dispute could also carry political consequences for Beshear, who has been building a national profile and courting Latino voters. Some of the critics argue that if he wants a broader coalition heading into 2028, he will need to repair that relationship.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
