With only 35 days until Texas elects its next governor, the possibility of a debate between Gov. Greg Abbott and Democrat Gina Hinojosa is fading quickly.
Hinojosa wasted no time calling out the Abbott campaign for letting another deadline to agree to a debate lapse.
To date, Greg Abbott has ignored four different proposed debate invitations, while Hinojosa has accepted all and remains prepared to share her plan for Texas with voters. The most recent was the proposed Nexstar Media Group and KXAN News debate.
"This evening, Greg Abbott and I should be debating about who has a stronger plan for the future of our great state," Hinojosa said in a campaign statement Friday, Sept. 25. "Instead, Abbott is hiding from the people of Texas because he is a weak
governor that can’t defend his record of property taxes going up 85%, hundreds of schools shutting down, and letting data center corporations run roughshod in our communities."
She again claimed Abbott won’t risk having to answer, "for selling out Texas to billionaires and big corporations and sticking us with the bill," she continued.
When asked why he has declined debate invitations, Abbott told CBS News Texas on Thursday, September 24, that he travels to multiple cities daily to engage directly with the public.
He noted that, in his experience, voters primarily want to see candidates in person and ask them questions directly rather than watch a structured studio debate. His campaign has instead prioritized town halls, local visits, and highlighting his legislative agenda and criticisms of his opponent's record on issues like border security and crime.
A recent NPR/Marist poll shows Hinojosa leading the incumbent by three points.
Important dates for 2026 Texas election
The last day to register to vote for the General Election is Oct. 5, either online, by mail, or in person.
Early voting starts Oct. 19 and runs through Oct. 30. The absentee ballot request deadline is Oct. 23 for mail requests or Oct. 19 for in-person requests. The absentee ballot return deadline is Nov. 3, by mail or in person on Election Day.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Kristian Jaime is the Top Story Reporter for the El Paso Times and is reachable at Kjaime@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Hinojosa pushes for debates against Abbott in Texas governor's race
