Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) is facing an early test of his 2028 presidential ambitions as prominent Texas Democrats accuse him of shortchanging their gubernatorial nominee and failing to engage Latino voters.
Beshear is coming under criticism in his capacity as chairman of the Democratic Governors Association for not conducting enough outreach to Latino voters and underfunding Texas Democratic gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa’s campaign against Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX). Several polls have shown the Texas contest competitive as Abbott seeks a fourth term in office.
In an interview with the Washington Examiner, former Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa, Gina’s father, complained that his daughter’s campaign had only received $1 million from the DGA, contending she needs another $3 million to $4 million.
“We’re not happy at all,” the elder Hinojosa said. “This is one of the most important races in the country. The governor should understand that. Although there’s a lot of talk about the importance of getting control of the Senate and the House, the governor’s mansions are the ones that are going to be in charge of redistricting. Texas will have the second-largest number of congressional districts in the country.”
The funding dispute comes as Texas Democrats attempt to compete with Abbott’s massive campaign war chest. Abbott has already spent over $100 million on the campaign, while Gina Hinojosa’s campaign has only spent around $16 million.
But the criticism also underscores a possible challenge for Beshear should he seek the Democratic presidential nomination. While his political appeal has rested in part on his ability to win elections in deeply Republican Kentucky, a national Democratic primary would require him to build relationships with a far more diverse coalition of voters and political leaders.
“He’s not really practiced in dealing with all the constituencies that make up the Democratic Party nationally,” Democratic strategist Garry South told the Washington Examiner. “That is a distinct disadvantage if he runs for the Democratic nomination for president in 2028.”
Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) issued an explicit warning about the political consequences for Beshear this week, criticizing the governor for not attending a DGA meeting with Latino leaders during which they advocated more money for Gina Hinojosa’s bid.
“Any path to the White House goes through the Latino community,” Garcia told NBC. “We’re going to remember in 2028 who was there with us when we needed them and who wasn’t.”
For Gilberto Hinojosa, a former judge, “Latinos are the largest single minority in this country,” not only in Texas.
“If you want to get them engaged and keep them in the Democratic column, then you need to show support for them and for their candidates,” he said.
The fundraising issue was underscored this week when Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL), another speculated 2028 contender, provided Gina Hinojosa’s campaign $1 million through his PAC, Ready for the Fight.
That comes as the Democrat, on average, remains 2 percentage points behind Abbott, at least according to RealClearPolitics on Friday. The Texas contest is considered by the Cook Political Report to be leaning toward Abbott, with the Alaska, Georgia, Nevada, Ohio, and Wisconsin counterparts considered toss-ups.
In response, DGA Executive Director Meghan Meehan-Draper told the Washington Examiner that the group “is proud of our latest investment in Gina Hinojosa’s campaign as we keep expanding the map” and is “excited about Gov. Pritzker’s continued support.”
“As DGA Chair, Governor Beshear has worked incredibly hard to do everything he can to elect as many Democratic governors as possible – and thanks to his strong leadership, we are aggressively competing in red and swing states across the country,” she said.
A DGA spokesperson additionally detailed that the group “made initial investments by paying expenses and funding staff on the ground, while also sending DGA staff to Texas for key moments.”
“Gov. Beshear spoke with Gina Hinojosa on Sept. 29 and they remain in touch,” the spokesperson said. “Gov. Beshear’s PAC In This Together has contributed $25,000 to the Hinojosa campaign. Beshear also recently sat down with Latino leaders in Pennsylvania.”
Some political strategists have described the dispute as an early proxy fight between Beshear and Pritzker ahead of the 2028 Democratic presidential primary. But Gilberto Hinojosa rejected that characterization, arguing that the difference between the governors comes down to their willingness to invest in his daughter’s campaign.
“What I see is one governor, Gov. Pritzker, believes that Gina can win, and he’s putting his money where his mouth is,” said the elder Hinojosa.
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Texas Democratic strategist Matt Angle similarly dismissed the suggestion that the contest is being driven by presidential politics, arguing that the immediate concern is whether national Democrats are doing enough to capitalize on the opportunity in Texas.
“We see the opportunity to win a governor’s race and change the nature of politics and policy in Texas and nationally,” Angle told the Washington Examiner. “Gina Hinojosa – dollar for dollar – has run what is probably the best campaign in the country. Texas is big, expensive, and not at all a sure thing, but the DGA and other national funders doing less than the most they can is a mistake.”