Top Democrats are rushing cash to Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for governor of Texas, as some in the party begin to believe she could pull off an improbable upset.
Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois and the Democratic Governors Association are each sending $1 million to support her bid, Mr. Pritzker and a top D.G.A. official said on Tuesday. The money could be significant for her: She had just $4 million or so on hand at the end of last month, according to Texas campaign finance reports.
Her Republican opponent, Gov. Greg Abbott, who is seeking a fourth term, began his re-election campaign with $100 million, but new fund-raising numbers on Tuesday showed that he was down to $18 million on hand by the end of September.
Polls of Texas show a tightening race, with Ms. Hinojosa holding a narrow lead in a recent survey from The New York Times and Siena University. Democrats have not won a statewide election in Texas since 1994. But some in the party believe that the unpopularity of President Trump and of Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for Senate, have put the state in play.
The Democratic nominee for Senate, James Talarico, has emerged as one of the party’s national fund-raising darlings, raising more $70 million. Ms. Hinojosa, like many candidates for governor, has struggled to raise substantial sums.
“There’s been not enough attention on her race,” Mr. Pritzker said in an interview. “Gina is running really a spectacular campaign, and I’m really pleased to be able to support her. And I think hopefully we’re going to see others join in in supporting her, as they have been for James Talarico.”
The cash influx follows public calls from Latino Democrats for more investment in the Texas race for governor.
Last week, a group of more than 70 of Ms. Hinojosa’s Latino allies sought to pressure the D.G.A. and its chairman, Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, to invest $10 million in the Texas contest.
The D.G.A.’s new $1 million contribution to support Ms. Hinojosa is the group’s first investment in the state. Texas campaign finance laws allow unlimited contributions to candidates for state office.
“The D.G.A. is proud of our latest investment in Gina Hinojosa’s campaign as we keep expanding the map,” said Meghan Meehan-Draper, the group’s executive director. “We’re also excited about Governor Pritzker’s continued support. There’s no doubt Gina has the momentum in this increasingly competitive race.”
Mr. Pritzker said in the interview that Ms. Hinojosa could win in Texas with enough financial support.
“This is completely winnable, and it would be a sea change in the country if Gina Hinojosa wins the governorship of Texas,” he said. “There’s every reason to believe that she can and will with the right support.”
Both Mr. Pritzker and Mr. Beshear are seen as potential Democratic presidential candidates in 2028.
Representative Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat who was among those who asked the D.G.A. to help Ms. Hinojosa, said in an interview that if Mr. Abbott was re-elected, Texas Republicans might try to redraw the state’s congressional districts again before the 2028 elections.
“The way you stop that is you win the governor race,” Mr. Castro said. “Gina is right there.”
Mr. Beshear has used his perch as D.G.A. chairman to crisscross the country stumping for Democratic candidates. Mr. Pritzker, a billionaire who is one of the nation’s wealthiest elected officials, has given more than $38 million to fellow Democratic candidates and groups since the beginning of last year, his aides said.
Before his $1 million contribution on Wednesday, Mr. Pritzker had already sent the Hinojosa campaign $200,000. This year, he has also made three political trips to Texas, where he met with Democratic state legislators and local labor leaders and spoke at the state Democratic Party’s annual convention.
He has contributed an additional $300,000 to other Texas Democrats, including $100,000 to the super PAC supporting Mr. Talarico.
Ms. Hinojosa said on Tuesday night that the new donations to her campaign were a sign that she had momentum against Mr. Abbott.
“It’s good to be winning,” she wrote in a text message.
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