Texas Democrat Gina Hinojosa enters race for governor

Texas Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa entered the race for governor Wednesday, criticizing Republican Gov. Greg Abbott as beholden to big donors in an uphill bid to become the first Democrat to hold the office since 1995.

Hinojosa, who represents Austin, joins a race that has been without big-name challengers and overshadowed in Texas by a competitive U.S. Senate contest. She was a fierce critic of a $1 billion private school voucher program in Texas and joined Democrats' walkout this summer that temporarily delayed the passage of redrawn U.S. House maps sought by President Donald Trump.

Abbott, who is seeking a record fourth term, has won each of his last three races by double-digits and his campaign is sitting on more than $80 million, underscoring the tall task facing any challenger.

“Our fight right now is against the billionaires and the corporations who are driving up prices, closing our neighborhood schools and cheating Texans out of basic health care. That's who Greg Abbott works for,” she said in a video announcing her candidacy. “I'm running for governor to work for you.”

Hinojosa was set to kick off her campaign with an event in her hometown of Brownsville along the U.S.-Mexico border, where Republicans have been making fast inroads with Hispanic voters.

Abbott's campaign manager, Kim Snyder, criticized Hinojosa as being out of step with most Texans.

"Time and again, Gina Hinojosa chooses woke, extreme ideologies over the safety and security of Texas families," Snyder said in a statement. "Texans deserve a governor who will continue to secure the border, fight for safer communities and uphold family values — not someone who supports failed, radical policies that hurt hardworking Texans.”

Other Democrats in the race include Andrew White, who is the son of former Texas Gov. Mark White and is running again after narrowly losing the Democratic primary in 2018.

FILE - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House, Feb. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

FILE - Texas state Rep Gina Hinojosa speaks during a rally to protest against redistricting hearings at the Texas Capitol, July 24, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea have seized another sanctioned oil tanker the Trump administration says has ties to Venezuela, coming as part of a broader U.S. effort to take control of the South American country’s oil.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote Thursday on social media, “Motor Tanker Veronica had previously passed through Venezuelan waters, and was operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.”

A social media post from U.S. Southern Command on the capture said that Marines and sailors launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to make the capture while Noem’s post noted that, like in previous raids, a U.S. Coast Guard tactical team conducted the boarding and seizure.

Noem posted a brief video that appeared to show part of the ship’s capture. The black-and-white footage showed helicopters hovering over the deck of a merchant vessel while armed troops dropped down on the deck by rope.

The Veronica is the sixth tanker that has been seized by U.S. forces as part of the effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to control the production, refining and global distribution of Venezuela’s oil products, and the fourth since the U.S. ouster of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid almost two weeks ago.

Noem, in her social media post, said that the raid was carried out with “close coordination with our colleagues” in the military as well as the State and Justice departments.

“Our heroic Coast Guard men and women once again ensured a flawlessly executed operation, in accordance with international law,” Noem added.

This story has been corrected to show the Veronica is the fourth, not the third, tanker seized by U.S. forces since Maduro's capture.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a press conference, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks at a news conference at Harry Reid International Airport, Nov. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill, File)