Democratic Texas gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa said Sunday that, if elected, she would work to remove criminal penalties for doctors who perform abortions in the state, pointing to the threat of lengthy prison sentences as a key driver of the current crisis.
Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Hinojosa was asked by host Dana Bash how she would change Texas abortion laws, which currently ban the procedure with very limited medical exceptions.
“It’s going to take more than one election to change these very extreme abortion bans in Texas,” Hinojosa said. “I think where we can start, I think where there is bipartisan support is to do away with the 99 years imprisonment that doctors face when they choose to terminate a pregnancy with a mother to save her life.”
The Austin-area state representative argued that the current legal environment has made physicians fearful of providing care even in emergencies.
“Right now, doctors can be second-guessed by political boards and they face 99 years in prison,” she said. “And so they’re afraid to touch women, and women are having to wait till they’re at death’s door. And too many women are dying in Texas because of it.”
Hinojosa framed the issue as one with potential bipartisan appeal, saying, “I think there’s bipartisan support to start there to do away with these criminal penalties for doctors.”
She also emphasized her broader stance on abortion rights, telling Bash, “I believe in a woman’s right to choose. I have a voting record that shows that’s where I stand. But I think that people need to understand these choices that we make in our lives, make us who we are.”
Hinojosa’s comments mark a clear positioning on an issue that has dominated Texas politics since the state’s near-total abortion ban took effect. The remarks are likely to sharpen the contrast between Hinojosa and the Republican primary field, where candidates have generally defended the current restrictions.
The gubernatorial race in Texas is expected to be one of the most closely watched in the 2026 cycle, with abortion access emerging as a central battleground. Hinojosa’s proposal to decriminalize physician conduct would represent a significant, if narrowly targeted, change to the state’s current framework.
While Hinojosa acknowledged that fully overturning the state’s abortion bans would require more than a single election cycle, her stated first step directly targets what she describes as the most extreme consequence of the law: the threat of a 99-year prison sentence for a doctor who performs an abortion to save a mother’s life.
Supporters of the current Texas law have argued that it includes necessary exceptions and that physicians are not prosecuted when they act in good faith. Hinojosa’s remarks challenge that view, contending that the mere possibility of prosecution has a chilling effect on medical care.
The exchange on CNN comes as Hinojosa continues to build her profile in the Democratic primary, where she faces an uphill battle in a state that has not elected a Democrat to statewide office in decades. Her campaign will likely seize on her clear stance as a contrast to any efforts by opponents to moderate on the issue.
Political observers note that Hinojosa’s framing deliberately seeks common ground: she is not proposing to legalize abortion broadly day one, but rather to remove what she calls the most punitive and dangerous elements of the current law. That strategy may appeal to moderate voters who are uncomfortable with the harshest penalties yet do not support full repeal of abortion restrictions.
The race remains fluid, and Hinojosa’s primary opponents have yet to go up with significant advertising. Her Sunday remarks, however, give voters an early look at how she would approach the issue as governor.
Asked what her first legislative priority would be on abortion, Hinojosa made clear the criminal penalties are the focus. Her statement that “too many women are dying in Texas because of it” underscores the urgency she attaches to the issue.
Texas Democrats have made abortion access a central plank of their 2026 platform, and Hinojosa has consistently voted with reproductive rights groups during her tenure in the Texas House. Her Sunday interview is likely to be cited extensively in both the primary and general election debates.
Bash’s question to Hinojosa reflected the national attention on Texas abortion policy, which has become a template for restrictions in other states and a rallying point for reproductive rights advocates.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/09/06/tx-gov-dem-candidate-hinojosa-on-abortions-ill-remove-criminal-penalties-for-doctors/