State Rep. Gina Hinojosa is making affordability the centerpiece of her campaign for governor, unveiling a proposal to send every Texas household a one-time $1,500 payment if she’s elected in November.
Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for governor, announced the plan Tuesday during a campaign stop in Houston, calling it a “corruption tax refund” and saying Texans deserve to benefit from the state’s record savings instead of watching the money sit unused.
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Under the proposal, the payments would be funded by drawing $17 billion from Texas’ Economic Stabilization Fund, commonly known as the Rainy Day Fund. The fund held a record $24.8 billion as of November 2025, according to the Texas Tribune. Hinojosa’s campaign estimates the plan would leave roughly $10 billion in reserves after the payments are made.
“The government is broken,” Hinojosa said while announcing the proposal. “It is more, right now, a burden than a help for people. That changes when I’m governor.”
Hinojosa said she would declare affordability an emergency on her first day in office and ask lawmakers to approve the plan, arguing Texans are struggling with rising costs, high rates of uninsured residents and financial hardship.
The proposal, however, faces significant legislative hurdles. Any withdrawal from the Rainy Day Fund for purposes other than addressing a budget shortfall requires approval from two-thirds of both chambers of the Texas Legislature. Republicans currently control both the House and Senate.
Meanwhile, incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott has continued to focus his campaign on property tax relief. Abbott has proposed eliminating school property taxes for homeowners and placing tighter limits on annual property appraisal increases.
Hinojosa will face Abbott in the November general election as she seeks to become the first Democrat elected Texas governor in more than three decades.