What Gina Hinojosa Said el Sábado

By A. Govea

On the second Saturday of every month, Domingo García and LULAC Council 102 host a community breakfast known as the Chorizo and Menudo Breakfast. The name is literal — those are the only two items on the menu. Simple, ¿que no? And yes, it’s free… tip not included.

Along with a hot breakfast and coffee, attendees get something just as valuable: information. Some Saturdays you hear updates about local schools, city government, or community resources. During election season, candidates often stop by to introduce themselves.

This past Saturday (2/14/26) was one of those days — but with a twist. It wasn’t just local candidates. A candidate for Governor showed up.

Attendance at these breakfasts is usually solid, and you can always spot a few folks who are clearly there more for the food than the speakers. Pero esta vez fue diferente. The room was packed to capacity, with people standing along the walls. The draw was obvious: Gina Hinojosa.

Like many candidates, she began with her personal story — married twenty‑seven years, mother of two sons, and someone who never planned on entering politics. In fact, she once made her husband promise he would never run for office. But everything changed when her son’s school was suddenly targeted for closure.

She became an angry mom, standing alongside other angry moms — including some MAGA moms. Together, they organized, fought back, and saved the school. That victory showed her what collective action can accomplish. It also pushed her to run for the AISD school board, a race she won. (You can learn more about her campaign at ginafortexas.com.)

After her remarks, she took questions from the crowd, many focused on the fear and trauma communities are experiencing due to aggressive ICE enforcement. If you care about humanity, this issue hits hard. And if you’re among those being targeted because of your skin color or because you speak Spanish in public, it’s not just an issue — it’s your daily reality.

Gina announced she would propose a state bill to make racial profiling illegal in Texas. My first reaction was skepticism — not because it’s a bad idea, but because the state government is controlled by Republicans, and the current governor recently handed over voter information to the Trump administration simply because they asked. A good idea, yes. A likely one? Hard to imagine.

But as I left the event, I kept thinking about the recent upset victory by Taylor Rehmet in Tarrant County. In a district that is 29% Latino, Rehmet earned 80% of the Latino vote — a 26% increase from just two years ago. Latino neighborhoods reportedly went BIG.

In Texas, Latinos make up a little over 40% of the population — more than 12 million people. So I say this to Gina: Put that bill on the table. And I dare any elected official with a significant Latino constituency to vote against it. The Latino vote is energized, and many of us are mad as hell.

In closing, Gina told the overflow crowd that when Beto ran in 2020, he received 62% of the Latino vote. “Today,” she said, “given the growth in our community, if I get that, I will win — and we will win.”

And you know what? I believe her. More importantly, I believe in our community’s power to turn out the vote.