On Cusp of Election Day, Republicans are Breaking with Greg Abbott – “Gina Hinojosa Has My Vote”

DALLAS, TX – Two days out from Election Day, longtime Republicans are publicly breaking with their party and career politician Greg Abbott – and throwing their support behind Gina Hinojosa for Texas Governor and other Democrats up and down the ballot.

In a new op-ed for The Dallas Morning News, Suzanne Bellsnyder – a former Republican legislative staffer and Abbott campaign staffer – writes that her experience working with Hinojosa on saving Texas public schools showed her a leader willing to reach across party lines to find common ground.

“She started with what we agreed on. Texas needs more of that,” Bellsnyder writes. “Gina Hinojosa has my vote.”

Bellsnyder adds that Hinojosa’s collaborative approach stands in stark contrast to Abbott’s treatment of rural Republicans who stood up to him on school vouchers, writing that Abbott treated the issue like “a loyalty test.”

“As a Republican, I know I won’t agree with her [Hinojosa] on everything,” Bellsnyder writes. “But I am confident she will make room at the table for people who bring different perspectives.”

Meantime, in a new Houston Chronicle op-ed, longtime Republican operative Kim Bardella – who worked for President George W. Bush and Republican members of Congress – explains why she voted straight-ticket Democrat this year for the first time in her life.

Bardella specifically singled out Abbott, writing that as governor he’s “sold out average Texans and small businesses in favor of billionaires like Elon Musk and AI data centers that will dramatically increase our cost of living.”

“National Republicans like Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz have been ringing the alarm about Greg Abbott’s re-election chances for some time. Now, we’re hearing it from Republicans on the ground in Greg Abbott’s backyard, including some who used to work for him. They understand they don’t have to agree with Gina Hinojosa on every issue to see that after 30 years in public office, Greg Abbott has put billionaire donors and big corporations first and everyday Texans last. That’s why they’re breaking with their own party and voting for Gina and Democrats up and down the ballot, because they know a vote for Gina is a vote for lower costs, strong public schools, and a Texas that works for working families,” said Texas Democratic Party Spokesman Jacob Long.