Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilbert Hinojosa has issued a statement taking sides in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, a week after Matthew Dowd entered the race.
Hinojosa said that he supports Mike Collier, a Houston accountant who was the Democratic pick for lieutenant governor in 2018. Collier is the establishment favorite over Dowd, a former independent who worked for Republican George W. Bush in the 2000s and Democratic Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock in the 1990s.
The party chair stated, “Since I first met Mike Collier at the Texas Capitol the night of Wendy Davis’ filibuster, Mike Collier has been one of the strongest, hardest working, committed Democrats in the Texas Democratic Party. Year after year, he has been persistent and never afraid to take the fight to Republicans in every corner of this state.”
“From being a leader at the State Party, to working for President Joe Biden from day one, the running to defeat the worst Lt. Governor in the country, Dan Patrick, and running the closest race for Lt. Governor in two decades, Mike Collier has been unrelenting. And he has crisscrossed the state to help county parties and Democratic candidates even when he wasn’t on the ballot.”
“Mike Collier has been a champion for our Democratic values, and I’m proud to call him my friend.”
Hinojosa’s statement came under criticism from Andrew White, a former Democratic candidate for governor in 2018 and son of Mark White, the Texas governor from 1983 to 1987. White said that Hinojosa had also worked against him int he 2018 primary against Lupe Valdez, who won that race and ended up losing to Governor Greg Abbott 56% to 43%.
“Hinojosa was a lot less overt with my campaign but nevertheless worked against it,” White said. “It can’t be good for any party’s primary to have an insider picking sides.”
