Democrats James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa Bet Big on Education and Affordability

A Texas Democrat has not been elected to the U.S. Senate since 1988 or to the state’s governor's office since 1990. So why are James Talarico (D-TX) and Gina Hinojosa (D-TX) gaining so much traction this election cycle?

One issue the two candidates have prioritized in their campaigns that has resonated with Texans on both sides of the aisle is public school education for children.

Before serving in the state legislature, Talarico was a middle school teacher, and Hinojosa was a lawyer. The two have brought these experiences into their campaign messaging to make the case for why they deserve to be elected.

“I had students sitting on the air conditioning unit,” Talarico said during a meet-and-greet event, recalling the conditions he witnessed in his classroom.

Hinojosa has also touched on another issue that is resonating with voters: affordability.

“The environment right now is hard for Texans,” Hinojosa said in a POLITICO interview last month. “Working Texans are struggling in a big way.”

Hinojosa said she had seen teachers waiting in line to donate plasma as a second job to make ends meet.

“It is not a normal level of struggle that we are experiencing in Texas right now,” she said. “We have the most uninsured, the most uninsured children, the most people being disconnected from their electricity because they can’t afford to pay their bills.”

This messaging is especially appealing to mothers, even Republicans.

Polling has consistently found Hinojosa leading among Latino voters, and a recent Marist University survey showed her winning 49% of suburban women and a third of rural voters.

“So my agenda is to secure the American dream,” Hinojosa said. “And I think we do that by saving Texas schools and putting money in the pocket of Texans.”