MAGA-aligned Texas Governor Greg Abbott appointed real estate developer Don Huffines to be the state’s Comptroller. Media outlets, including the Houston Chronicle, refer to Huffines as Abbott’s fierce former rival — Huffines ran for governor of Texas in the 2022 Republican primary.
[NOTE: In March, Huffines won the Republican primary for comptroller, defeating incumbent Kelly Hancock, who in turn announced his resignation. On Thursday, Abbott announced his appointment of Huffines to serve out the remainder of Hancock’s term.]
Democratic Texas State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, who is running against Abbott in the 2026 gubernatorial election, reacted to Abbott’s appointment by referring to Huffines as “the owner of the Epstein ranch.”
She wrote: “Greg Abbott just appointed Huffines, the owner of the Epstein ranch & his party’s nominee, to be TX Comptroller. Why? So YOU pay for Huffines’ campaign.”
As seen below, at a Committee on Public Education meeting this week, Hinojosa complained “we don’t get state funding to promote” successful educational programs including the Educational Savings Accounts (ESA) program, and now a new bill will allow the Comptroller “to enter into contracts or agreements and engage in marketing, advertising and other activities to promote the use of the (ESA) program.”
Hinojosa called the new bill “unfair” to the school communities who run the program and others like it.
Greg Abbott just appointed Huffines, the owner of the Epstein ranch & his party’s nominee, to be TX Comptroller.
Why? So YOU pay for Huffines’ campaign. Last year, Abbott signed SB2, that lets the Comptroller spend your tax $$ on self-advertising as an exception to Govt Code… pic.twitter.com/9blJ2a5CNn
— Gina Hinojosa (@GinaHinojosaTX) July 2, 2026
Hinojosa noted that once the new Comptroller takes office, she “can see” Huffines and/or Abbott using the ESA program for political campaign purposes, “being surrounded by beautiful children and having ads about come join this ESA that we’re doing.” She added, “This is not good public policy,” and it’s “unfair to our hard working school communities.”
[NOTE: Some objected on X to Hinojosa’s description of Huffines. As one X user replied: “Don Huffines’ family purchased the former Zorro Ranch from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate in a public sale/auction in 2023—four years after Epstein’s 2019 death. Proceeds benefited Epstein’s victims/creditors. They renamed it San Rafael Ranch and plan to use it as a Christian retreat. The phrasing ‘owner of the Epstein ranch’ is misleading.” The reply reflects reporting by The New Mexican.]