Texas Tea: Three Democrats vs. the Republican aiming to become Texas’ longest-serving governor

Texas Tea is a monthly column in the COURIER DFW newsletter. 

It’s been a month since we last chatted, and a lot has happened. Since we last caught up, we faced the longest government shutdown in history, millions of Americans lost their SNAP benefits, Gov. Greg Abbott has continued his crusade to erase LGBTQ+ people, and Democrats won big across the country. Now, Texans’ eyes turn to the 2026 Texas governor’s race. And things are getting hot and heavy.

Earlier this month, while in Houston, Abbott officially announced he’s running for re-election, aiming to become the longest-serving governor in Texas history. If he wins, this will be his fourth term. But before we get there, Texans will have other choices within the Democratic party. The Democratic primary is one that everyone across the state is talking about. Let’s review who’s in and what their chances of winning look like.

There are currently three Democratic candidates: Bobby Cole, Andrew White, and Gina Hinojosa.

Bobby Cole made waves a few months back with a powerful campaign ad that struck a chord across party lines, something that could genuinely resonate with moderate and Republican voters tired of extremism. I was impressed and excited to see him at the redistricting hearing in Arlington, putting up a fight and showing Texas that he’s a serious candidate.

Then there’s Andrew White, son of former Gov. Mark White (1983–1987). He’s branding himself as an “independent Democrat,” but his language and tactics are flat-out transphobic, putting him at odds with broader Democratic ideals. He ran in 2018 and lost to Lupe Valdez—the first LGBTQ+ Latina candidate to win a major party’s nomination for governor. No one knew him then, and they might know him now, but they aren’t going to fall for his stale talking points.

This time around, White’s campaign is focused on courting “independent” and Republican voters, but it won’t work because he’s a Republican disguised as a Democrat. I say this because of the very words he uses.

Under “Equal Rights” on White’s website (an issue I care most about as a gay Texan): “Love who you love — life’s better with friends from all walks of life. I believe children deserve time to grow up before making life-altering choices about their bodies. Women’s athletics exist to give women equal opportunities to compete—let’s keep it that way.”

Let’s call it what it is: an attack on trans kids and LGBTQ+ Texans. White has a unique opportunity to attack Abbott and highlight all the harm he’s done to kids in schools by not protecting them from gun violence or by funneling public school dollars into tax breaks for wealthy private donors. Instead of using his platform to challenge Abbott’s failures, White is echoing right-wing talking points. We’ve seen how that plays out before. In Virginia, MAGA Republican Winsome Earle-Sears tried the same thing, running a campaign rooted in transphobia. It got her nowhere—she didn’t even get a Trump endorsement.

I will not be supporting Andrew White, and I hope you won’t either.

State representative Gina Hinojosa is a rising star. The daughter of former Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa, she’s already earned big endorsements from leaders like state Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin). The two are even fundraising together.

Her campaign ad was impressive, bilingual, heartfelt, and rooted in South Texas, a region Democrats have too often ignored. In 2024, we saw what happens when we take Latino communities for granted: Republicans win, and they win big. Republicans invested heavily there, flipping historically blue seats red, filling in the messaging gaps Democrats left behind. Hinojosa’s ad signals that she understands this mistake and plans to fix it.

Beyond her message, her record speaks volumes. Since 2017, she’s represented Texas House District 49, fighting for public schools, equality, and especially for trans Texans. She’s proven to be bold, progressive, and unafraid. These are qualities Democrats desperately need at this moment.

Can she win the primary? Absolutely.

Can she beat Abbott in the general? That’s the real test.

If we look back, Beto O’Rourke came close in 2018 but fell short in 2022. The difference this time will come down to outreach, consistency, and messaging. If Hinojosa invests in meeting Texans where they are, across every county and community—putting herself in the face of everyday Texans and building a movement powered by people (and yes, social media creators!), she has a real shot.

As a political content creator myself, I’ve seen firsthand how much attention this race and Hinojosa herself are already getting online. Texans are watching, Texans are fed up, and they are ready for bold change. Come 2026, I want to show the world that Texas votes, that we show up for our neighbors, fight for what’s right, and put people before politics. But we can’t do that unless we rally behind a candidate who inspires us.

So I’ll leave you with this:

Do you think Hinojosa can be that candidate?

Reply and let me know your thoughts. I’d love to hear what y’all think.

Until next time,

Ricky (The Gay Liberal)

If you missed Ricky’s introduction column, read it here.