Texas Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa announced her first transition team appointments on Thursday. The picks include allies in public education and organized labor, and former state Rep. Ernest Bailes, a Republican from rural East Texas. Hinojosa said she is "going to be the Governor for all the people of Texas."
Bailes was among Republican lawmakers who joined Democrats to block Gov. Greg Abbott's school voucher proposal in 2023. Abbott later backed primary challengers against those Republicans in 2024, including the candidate who defeated Bailes. Hinojosa, who served with Bailes in the Texas House, called him a champion for public schools. Bailes said the two would "put partisanship aside."
Other appointees include Tamala Barksdale, a former Austin ISD trustee who served with Hinojosa on the school board, and Ryan Pollock, a union electrician and executive director of the Texas State Building and Construction Trades Council. Joe Madden, a Houston public affairs consultant, will serve as executive director of the transition team. Hinojosa also said she has spoken with Abbott since the election and that their teams are communicating. The transition team is expected to grow in the coming weeks.