Hinojosa promoted the proposal Tuesday during a campaign rally in Longview, Texas. She's running to unseat Republican Governor Greg Abbott, who is seeking a fourth term in November's election.
Abbott has his own pitch for putting money back in Texans' pockets. He's pledged property-tax relief, including eliminating school property taxes for homeowners and adding new limits on property-tax growth. His team says that plan could save homeowners about $3,000 a year.
Neither campaign has laid out full details on how the competing plans would get funded or implemented. Hinojosa's check would be a one-time payment tied to what she's calling a "corruption tax refund," while Abbott's approach works through the property-tax system and promises bigger, recurring savings for homeowners.
Newsweek reached out to Abbott's office Wednesday for comment on Hinojosa's proposal and her claim that Trump copied her idea.
The dueling dollar figures, $1,500 versus roughly $3,000 a year, give Texas voters a real number to weigh as the governor's race heats up.