Austin-based public radio reporter Joy Diaz launches campaign for Texas governor

After 16 years on the airwaves in Austin as a journalist at KUT and the public affairs show, "Texas Standard," Joy Diaz announced Wednesday that she’s running for governor.

Diaz, who left her journalism job in early November, said at the time that she was inspired to run for office after she and her elementary school-aged son both contracted COVID-19 earlier this year, an experience that she said ignited her passion for public service.

“I recently left journalism to fulfill a mission — an unshakeable dream, a fire in my soul — to serve you as the next governor of the great state of Texas,” Diaz, 45, said in a video posted online ahead of her Wednesday campaign launch at Scholz Garten in downtown Austin.

Diaz will run as a Democrat, facing off against former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who launched his campaign for governor in November. O’Rourke is a prolific fundraiser known for his campaign against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in 2018 and his short-lived campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. In the first 24 hours after launching his campaign for governor, O’Rourke raised $2 million.

Read more: Beto O'Rourke faces fresh obstacles, motivated GOP in run for Texas governor

Deirdre Gilbert, an educator from Missouri City also is running in the March Democratic primary for governor. The deadline for candidates to file to appear on primary election ballots is Monday.

Early polling

Diaz said when she made the decision to run for office, she was focused solely on Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, not the other Democrats in the race.

"My target has been Greg Abbott. That's where my focus is, that's where my spirit is, that's where my energy will be," she told the American-Statesman.

Abbott is seeking a third term and is facing at least two GOP primary challengers: former state Sen. Don Huffines and Allen West, former chairman of the Texas Republican Party.

A poll released by Quinnipiac University on Wednesday found that 53% of registered voters surveyed approve of how Abbott is handling his job as governor, an improvement from September, when he received his lowest ever approval rating of 44%.

The same poll found that in a hypothetical general election matchup, Abbott garnered 52%, compared with 37% for O'Rourke.

Respondents also were polled on what they view as the most urgent issue facing the state. One-third said the Texas-Mexico border, followed by the economy with 11% and abortion with 9%.

By the numbers: Poll suggests Greg Abbott would win Texas governor election. How does Beto O'Rourke compare?

Border, education and pandemic

Before launching her campaign, Diaz completed a six-month course at the LBJ Women's Campaign School at UT's LBJ School of Public Affairs, which offers training to would-be candidates for office. Through the program, Diaz was paired with a mentor: state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin.

Goodwin, who is not endorsing Diaz's campaign, said she always supports more candidates entering primary contests, because it helps drive more voters to the polls.

Diaz said in her announcement video that she decided to run for governor to focus on three key issues: the border, public education and state preparedness for the pandemic.

Diaz grew up in Mexico City, the child of an American missionary. During her time as a reporter, she said she has spoken with people across the state and gained a deeper understanding of how state policies affect their lives.

“The most valuable information comes from the people who live these policies day in and day out, everyday Texans like you and me,” Diaz said in the video. “When I hear men in power describe the border as a crisis, it just reinforces one thing, that they haven’t done their jobs.”

Diaz said her perspective as a former educator, her career before she turned to journalism, would serve her well as governor and could “help improve our schools dramatically.”

She used her announcement as an opportunity to knock Abbott and other state leaders for their response to the coronavirus pandemic, highlighting her own experience after testing positive for COVID-19.

“Our current leadership has forgotten that their mission is to serve us,” Diaz said in the video. “Conventional wisdom may say that it is unlikely for an average person — even a qualified one, even one with expertise, even one with a huge heart — to become the next governor of this great state. But Texans don’t solely rely on conventional wisdom. We believe in miracles.”

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Joy Diaz of 'Texas Standard' launches campaign for TX governor