How They DifferAbbott · Hinojosa 2026
A no bullshit non-partisan comparison of political candidates
Aggregate score
Abbott 3.9Hinojosa 5.4 H +1.5
Veterans (VFW/Legion/IAVA composite) portrait
Scoring · Institutions & organizations

Veterans (VFW/Legion/IAVA composite)

Via Wikimedia Commons.

Veterans composite prioritizes VA capacity, GI Bill, veteran mental-health, military-family support, and toxic-exposure accountability (burn-pit, PACT Act)163. Abbott's HB 346 veteran-business franchise-tax exemption, the $239M HHSC mental-health grants, and Guard-deployment pay during Operation Lone Star are positives. The mass civilian-enforcement deployment drew IAVA criticism. Hinojosa's Medicaid-expansion and water-reliability priorities benefit veterans. Both pick up partial credit.

Abbott
6
Hinojosa
5
Margin
A +1
Issue
Abbott
Hinojosa
HB 346 veteran-business franchise-tax exemption
Helps
—
Abbott: Helps · Hinojosa: —
Veterans groups have championed targeted veteran-owned-business tax relief; Abbott signed HB 34657. Hinojosa has not authored a comparable bill but supports veteran-business assistance.1
HHSC mental-health construction grants
Helps
—
Abbott: Helps · Hinojosa: —
Veterans composite framework prioritizes mental-health capacity for veterans; Abbott's $239M HHSC mental-health construction grants39 serve many veteran patients. Hinojosa supports expanded mental-health funding through Medicaid expansion.1
National Guard deployment pay
Helps
—
Abbott: Helps · Hinojosa: —
Veterans groups have pressed for proper Guard-deployment pay and benefits; Abbott authorized pay raises during Operation Lone Star deployment63. Hinojosa supports Guard-deployment-pay reforms but is not the actor on the existing pay framework.1
Operation Lone Star civilian enforcement
Hurts
—
Abbott: Hurts · Hinojosa: —
IAVA-affiliated commentators have criticized the mass Guard deployment for civilian immigration enforcement rather than traditional Guard missions; Abbott directs the operation63. Hinojosa opposes the deployment scale.1
Medicaid expansion for veteran safety nets
—
Helps
Abbott: — · Hinojosa: Helps
Veterans groups note that many veterans rely on county-level safety nets that Medicaid expansion would shore up; Hinojosa has made expansion a priority.1 Abbott has refused expansion, narrowing the safety-net base.
Water reliability for rural veterans
—
Helps
Abbott: — · Hinojosa: Helps
Rural-veteran communities depend on water reliability; Hinojosa has centered water reliability as a campaign issue.1 Abbott has signed water-funding bills but the strand is not as central to his platform.

Sources

  1. Gina Hinojosa for Texas Governor, official campaign priorities page, accessed May 2026. (full list)
  2. Office of the Governor, 'Governor Abbott announces $239 million in construction grants for mental health care in rural Texas,' March 2025. (full list)
  3. Office of the Governor, 'Governor Abbott signs laws to bolster Texas small businesses.' (full list)
  4. Uriel J. García, 'Texas has spent more than $11 billion on Operation Lone Star,' Texas Tribune, April 22, 2024. (full list)
  5. The Arc of Texas, 'Medicaid waivers' resource page — IDD waiver waitlists and home-and-community-based services data. (full list)
  6. Veterans framework (VFW / American Legion / IAVA composite): VA capacity and accountability, GI Bill, mental-health and suicide-prevention services. (full list)

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