Democratic gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa staged a debate with an empty lectern outside the Texas Governor's Mansion on Thursday, after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott did not accept her invitation to face off. The event underscored the escalating tension in the Texas governor's race and highlighted Abbott's refusal to participate in a debate with his Democratic challenger.
"I guess the governor is a no-show, which is not surprising because he has been a no-show for Texans for years," Hinojosa told supporters gathered in front of the executive residence. She accused Abbott of shutting down the street where she had originally planned to hold the debate.
"If Greg Abbott's not man enough to debate me then he doesn't deserve to be the governor of Texas," Hinojosa said, drawing cheers from the crowd.
The Texas Democratic Party quickly seized on Abbott's absence. Spokesperson Jacob Long issued a statement Thursday afternoon slamming the governor for ducking the debate. "The contrast in this race could not be more clear," Long said. "Gina Hinojosa is traveling the state, hosting more than 150 public events and meeting directly with thousands of voters in their homes and in their communities. The only people who seem to have access to Greg Abbott are the billionaire donors lining his pockets."
The event took an unexpected turn when independent gubernatorial candidate Jenn Mack walked onto the stage and stood behind the second lectern. A video clip shared online by a local Fox 7 Austin reporter captured the moment. "You came to debate Abbott on his record, and I came to debate both of you on your records," Mack said, prompting loud boos from the audience. She was later escorted away from the podium by an officer and another man.
Abbott's campaign used the incident to criticize Hinojosa, posting a video of Mack's removal on social media. "The misogyny shown toward a candidate who came to debate proves how insincere and hypocritical Gina Hinojosa is," the campaign said in a statement.
The Republican reelection campaign also argued that the event was not a "sincere attempt to debate," noting that the empty lectern—reachable only by stairs—was inaccessible to Abbott, who uses a wheelchair. Hinojosa's campaign spokesperson Tommy Kubitschek pushed back, telling The Hill that the Democratic candidate had agreed to four other debates with news outlets, while Abbott had not accepted any debate invitations. Kubitschek said Hinojosa's campaign gave Abbott a week to accept Thursday's debate challenge outside the governor's mansion but received no response.
"This was an entirely sincere attempt to allow Texans to hear two different plans for the state's future, and Abbott has had every opportunity a candidate could hope for to engage in good faith discussion," Kubitschek said.
Abbott defended his decision during a campaign stop Thursday in Tyler. "The most important thing that a governor can do is to show up in communities," he said, according to the Houston Chronicle. "What voters want to see and hear, they want to see their governor in their community. They want to have the ability to ask their governor questions."
The debate standoff in the governor's race mirrors a similar dynamic in the Texas Senate contest, where Democratic nominee James Talarico has faced barriers in getting Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton to meet him on stage. On Wednesday evening, Talarico participated in a town hall in Fort Worth hosted by CNN and Jubilee. CNN said it extended a similar offer to Paxton but had not heard back from the Republican's campaign. Talarico has been slamming Biden on border policy as he seeks to energize voters.
Polling shows both Talarico and Hinojosa locked in competitive races against their Republican opponents. Abbott is running for a fourth term in the Texas governor's mansion. A Marist University poll released Wednesday showed Abbott with a 4-point advantage among likely Texas voters—a lead that fell within the survey's margin of error. In the same poll, 47 percent of respondents backed Talarico, while 45 percent supported Paxton in the Senate contest.
As the campaign intensifies, the debate over debates has become a central theme, with Democrats accusing Republicans of avoiding public scrutiny. The Cook Report recently shifted four governor races toward Democrats, signaling a potentially favorable environment for the party. Meanwhile, national Republicans are deploying top surrogates to Texas to defend their majorities, underscoring the stakes in the Lone Star State.
