If you live in Texas and you’re active on Threads, chances are you’ve interacted with Antonia Adams. A lover of historical fiction, the content creator and influencer behind @BlackGirlThatReads has built a following of more than 45,000 people on Instagram through posts on current reads and her recommendations on books and places in the city. But lately, Adams’s online conversations have shifted from books to politics. Adams has posted about the 2026 midterm elections daily since July—specifically, the Texas gubernatorial race, in which Democratic State Rep. Gina Hinojosa is challenging Republican incumbent Greg Abbott, who has been governor since 2015.
Adams says she’s always been politically engaged, but she’s never thrown herself behind a candidate like this. For the former public school teacher who now works at a literacy nonprofit, this election is personal.
Though she grew up in Dallas, Adams has lived in Houston for most of her adult life. She began her career teaching kindergarten and first grade in the Houston Independent School District (HISD) before leaving in 2021 to attend graduate school. Since the district’s state takeover in 2023 and the appointment of superintendent Mike Miles, schools have seen funding cuts to libraries, art, and music; high teacher turnover; the hiring of uncertified staff; declining enrollment; and the closure of several schools.
Adams watched some of these changes unfold from afar during a brief stint teaching at a private school in New York City in 2024. She was heartened by her experience there. “It was so great to feel safe and trusted as an educator, and I knew that that was not going to be my reality anywhere in the city when I came back to Houston,” she says.
While in New York, Adams kept a close watch on Houston’s education landscape, knowing she and her husband would likely return upon finishing grad school. They’ve always wanted to be near family in a similarly diverse city, but the stark contrast between the teaching environment she left in 2021 and what she returned to ultimately led her to leave public education for the nonprofit sector.
What she describes as the deterioration of Houston’s public school system also shaped major life decisions—namely whether she and her husband will start a family. “I believe in public education, and having worked within the system here, I understand what it stands to lose,” Adams says. “As it stands right now, I would not choose to send a child to an HISD school, which effectively means I probably would not have a child in Texas at this point.”
That’s what drove her to encourage others to vote and support Hinojosa, a candidate she believes will raise teacher salaries and overhaul Texas’s public education system, based on her track record of fighting for Austin ISD schools. Adams also says she is optimistic about Hinojosa’s plans to improve electricity costs and freeze current rates.
“I want people to know smart, intelligent, and kind people can come out of Texas and make change that’ll impact everyone,” Adams says. “I think right now Texas is essentially the laughingstock of the country, which really breaks my heart. … I became a very curious and open-minded person as a result of living here. I want people to know we’re not the worst of what’s been showcased at the national level for so many years.”
Leading up to the October 5 voter registration deadline, Adams spent nearly every waking moment online, asking strangers on Threads whether they were registered to vote. She estimates that she has asked at least 50 people a day since July, resulting in screen time stats that are “atrocious,” even if it’s for a good cause.
What pushed her was simple: many people she’s encountered, including friends and family, didn’t know who Hinojosa is—or that someone was even running against Abbott. She also noticed many voters were misinformed, with some saying they were supporting James Talarico for governor. Though Talarico, also a state representative, has received more media attention, he’s running for the U.S. Senate—not governor. It helped Adams realize that if she wanted to help elect a new governor, she had to start talking more about Hinojosa. She chose Threads as her main avenue. “I knew that we didn’t really have a culture here of talking about elections and voter registration,” Adams says. “It made me realize that online social media platforms were a space to continue conversations and to capture people because they were not going to expect to be asked about voting or if they were registered to vote online.”
In a notoriously red state like Texas, you might expect right-wing trolls or disenchanted residents believing they’re unlikely to influence such a high-stakes election. But Adams says most people have been willing to engage in open discussions. More than 50 people she’s engaged with have gone on to register to vote because of her efforts—a win, considering Texas’s reputation as a non-voting state. “Capturing people who are just completely disillusioned by it all and getting them to say, ‘Oh, I’ll come this time,’ is amazing,” she says.
Her political advocacy eventually merged with her bookish brand. One of her favorite authors, Tayari Jones, encouraged her, reminding her to ask about voting in every conversation, even the ones about books.
Adams has also been campaigning in person, asking baristas, bartenders, and valet workers whether they’re registered. She set up shop at Levy Park to help last-minute registrants get squared away the weekend before the deadline, and on May 30, she met Hinojosa at an official campaign event and later joined her team for a block walk.
One of her most memorable encounters was speaking with a man who thought he’d lost the right to vote because he’d gone to jail (Texas is one of the states that restores your right to vote once you’ve completed all your obligations to the criminal justice system). In another instance, a young woman tagged Adams online, saying she never cared to vote, but seeing her activism online inspired her to vote in this election and every one moving forward.
The registration deadline has passed, but Adams’s online presence hasn’t slowed. She’s still posting about the election, whether people plan to vote on Election Day, and whether they know Hinojosa exists. She hasn’t yet figured out her own Election Day plans—whether she’ll host or attend a watch party or sit at home while the results roll in. But she feels good knowing she’s done her part and that she’s encouraged others to do the same.
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