Hinojosa Accepts Gubernatorial Debate Invite
as GOP Braces for Trump's Dallas Convention
Capitol Inside
July 1, 2026
As Texas Republicans scrambled to prepare for the first-ever national midterm convention in Dallas with only two months notice, Democrat Gina Hinojosa agreed on Wednesday to face Governor Greg Abbott in a debate in Fort Worth less than three weeks before the general election in November.
Abbott had not responded by late Wednesday morning to the invitation that he and the Democratic challenger received from the sponsors of the gubernatorial debate - the NBCUniversal stations in Texas and the state's major newspapers that are owned by Hearst - have set for October 15.
The incumbent who's seeking a record fourth term would little or nothing to gain from an encounter with Hinojosa on the stage at an event that will be broadcast live and heavily publicized in the media in the Lone Star State and beyond. with Texas shaping up to be a battleground state in 2028.
A civil rights lawyer in Austin where she serves as a state representative, Hinojosa is a far more polished and compelling speaker than the Republican governor, who relies heavily on prepared scripts. Abbott can get flustered when forced to improvise especially when he finds himself under attack on subjects he failed to anticipate.
But Hinojosa has been trailing Abbott by 6 points on average in polling on the race - and the debate could be her best and last chance for the surge she might need to overcome the deficit. Hinojosa's hopes will depend significantly on James Talarico's strength at the top of the Texas as the Democratic nominee in an open U.S. Senate race.
The inaugural convention that President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday night presents the Republicans in Texas with a different set of problems and challenges that are novel. The president said the midterm conclave would be held September 9 and 10 in Dallas - which he proclaimed to be one of his favorite cities - an accolade that appeared to be a first as well.
But Trump didn't reveal the specific location for the national convention that he apparently expects the Republican Party to stage for him in a city that Democrats control in a county where no presidential contender for the GOP has won since Texan George W. Bush claimed 50.4 percent of the vote there in a presidential re-election race in 2004. The leading candidates for such a venue would appear to be the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas or the American Airlines Center where the Dallas Mavericks play. AT&T Stadium in Arlington could be a potential option for Trump's midterm convention given that the home team Dallas Cowboys don't play there until the following week when they host the New York Giants in their second regular season game.
The midterm convention has the potential to be a disaster for Texas Republicans in competitive general election contests from U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton at the top of the ticket and down-ballot fights this fall. The Republicans here appeared to historically divided at their state convention in Houston almost three weeks ago. But the GOP's candidates in major Texas appeared to escape avoid significant damage to their chances from their convention in the Bayou City or the Democrats' biennial gathering in Corpus Christi last weekend.
Trump gave the impression in a Truth Social post that the first GOP midterm convention would be more of a showcase for his administration's "incredible success" than a pep rally for Republicans on the November ballot. The president said the Dallas event would give him an opportunity to show off the America First agenda which he falsely claimed to include the elimination of taxes on tips, overtime pay and social security and actions he'd taken to ensure "LOWER COSTS AND REAL AFFORDABILITY."
"It will be fantastic," the president said. "It has never been done before, and will be a truly Historic Event.”
Trump said the convention in Dallas would feature "hardworking Americans, our Great Innovators, Entrepreneurs, Manufacturers, First Responders and Job Creators who are powering our Nation's Golden Age" without an indication of Republicans in the hottest races across the country would have the ability to participate.
"THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN," the president declared in the social media message on the Dallas event.
more to come ...
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