Texas Rep. Gina Hinojosa, the Austin Democrat running to unseat Gov. Greg Abbott, is calling out her Republican rival for refusing to accept her invitation to an October debate.
“Abbott owes it to the voters to have a real debate about who has a stronger vision for the future of our great state,” Hinojosa’s campaign said in a statement released Wednesday.
Hinojosa’s camp told the Current she has accepted an invitation from NBC Universal Television Stations Texas and Hearst Newspapers Texas to participate in a one-hour debate on Thursday, Oct. 15, in Fort Worth. The debate will be broadcast in English and Spanish.
However, campaign officials said that, to their knowledge, Abbott still hasn’t agreed to appear.
Abbott’s campaign didn’t immediately respond to the Current’s request for comment about his plans.
“Texans deserve to hear a vision of Texas where we save our public schools and put money into people’s pockets,” Hinojosa said. “They deserve to believe in a Texas that rewards hard work and takes care of its people. Greg Abbott has spent 12 years showing us what he thinks Texans deserve: more data centers, fewer schools and endless contracts for his billionaire donors to get rich off our tax dollars.”
Abbott’s silence comes as Hinojosa’s campaign is ramping up. The state rep and former Austin ISD Board of Trustees member is set to unveil her economic policy platform next week.
Although details of that plan remain scant at press time, she’s likely timing the announcement in response to Abbott’s tax reform plans released this week. Critics have warned the governor’s tax agenda would significantly undermine the financial independence of Texas cities.
Among other things, Abbott’s five-point plan would cap city governments’ spending increases by standardized limits based on population growth or an inflation rate of 3.5%, whichever is lower. Meanwhile, any property tax increases — such as one being proposed by San Antonio city officials — would require approval from two-thirds of voters in a public referendum.
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