LDS policy prioritizes religious liberty, marriage and family, humane immigration (the 2010 Utah Compact), and refugee resettlement155. Abbott aligns on religious-liberty law (SB 10/11/763) and traditional marriage but runs hard against the Utah Compact on Operation Lone Star, SB 4, and ending in-state tuition for Dreamers. Hinojosa aligns with the Utah Compact on immigration but runs against LDS on abortion and LGBTQ student clubs. Close to a wash.
Issue
Abbott
Hinojosa
Religious-liberty legislation (SB 10/11/763)
Helps
Hurts
Abbott: Helps · Hinojosa: Hurts
LDS treats religious-liberty protection as a top published priority; Abbott signed the SB 10/11/763 package44 and Hinojosa voted against.
Traditional marriage / sexuality framework
Helps
Hurts
Abbott: Helps · Hinojosa: Hurts
LDS doctrine and public-policy framework backs traditional marriage and sexuality; Abbott's SB 12/14/15 package aligns while Hinojosa voted against all three.
Operation Lone Star (Utah Compact)
Hurts
—
Abbott: Hurts · Hinojosa: —
The 2010 Utah Compact, endorsed by LDS leadership149, emphasizes family-unity and proportionality in enforcement; Operation Lone Star's scale runs against that strand. Hinojosa opposes the operation's scale and aligns with the Utah Compact framework.
SB 4 state immigration enforcement
Hurts
Helps
Abbott: Hurts · Hinojosa: Helps
The Utah Compact opposes state-level enforcement schemes that displace federal authority; Abbott signed SB 464 and Hinojosa voted against.
In-state tuition for Dreamers
Hurts
—
Abbott: Hurts · Hinojosa: —
The Utah Compact's education strand supports educational pathways for Dreamers; Abbott's ending of in-state tuition for Dreamers cuts against that priority. Hinojosa has defended in-state tuition for Dreamers1.
Abortion ban (SB 8)
Helps
Hurts
Abbott: Helps · Hinojosa: Hurts
LDS opposes elective abortion and supports legal protections with limited exceptions; Abbott signed SB 8 and Hinojosa voted against.
LGBTQ student clubs (SB 12)
Helps
Hurts
Abbott: Helps · Hinojosa: Hurts
LDS supports school policies consistent with traditional sexuality framework; Abbott's SB 12 student-club ban aligns while Hinojosa voted against.
Refugee resettlement
—
Helps
Abbott: — · Hinojosa: Helps
LDS Charities runs one of the largest religious-affiliated refugee-resettlement networks and the Church publicly backs robust resettlement; Hinojosa supports resettlement capacity. Abbott has worked to limit Texas's resettlement participation, contrary to the LDS framework.
Family-unity in enforcement
Hurts
Helps
Abbott: Hurts · Hinojosa: Helps
The Utah Compact explicitly emphasizes keeping families together in enforcement; Operation Lone Star's prosecution-and-separation model cuts against that under Abbott, while Hinojosa's framework keeps family-unity central.
Sources
- Texas Tribune, 'Ten Commandments in Texas schools: SB 10 explained,' May 24, 2025. (full list)
- CBS News, 'Texas immigration law SB 4, making illegal entry a state crime, signed by Greg Abbott,' Dec. 2023. (full list)
- Gina Hinojosa for Texas Governor, official campaign priorities page, accessed May 2026. (full list)
- Utah Compact (2010): five-principle framework on immigration including humane enforcement and federal-not-state jurisdiction. (full list)
- Modern LDS (Mormon) Church public-policy positions: religious liberty, marriage and family, immigration (Utah Compact), education, refugees. (full list)