Until a year ago, Hinojosa was little known outside the Texas House of Representatives. A fifty-two-year-old labor lawyer, she got her start in politics in 2012, after running for a school-board position in Austin. Her fight for public education led her to the state House, where she served five terms, becoming one of Governor Greg Abbott’s most vocal opponents. As this year’s midterms approached, Hinojosa tried to persuade several colleagues to enter the race for governor.