Abbott Ad Used a Slain Girl's Photo. Her Mother Was Never Asked.

On October 19, 2026, Greg Abbott's reelection campaign posted an ad called 'Protect Texans, Vote Greg Abbott' to YouTube. Wendy Alvarez, whose 9-year-old daughter Arlene was fatally shot on Valentine's Day 2022, found out about it when strangers began attacking her on Facebook.

The ad features Arlene's aunt, April Aguirre, holding up a photograph of the girl while describing Arlene's death. Aguirre says she trusts Abbott because 'he's fought to keep violent criminals locked up.' The ad also attacks Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa over bail policies and alleged support for defunding police.

An Abbott campaign spokesperson told the Houston Chronicle that Aguirre brought the photo herself, gave permission for its use, and participated without pay. Asked whether Wendy Alvarez had also consented, the spokesperson said the campaign was 'not aware of that happening.' The campaign said it had received no removal requests, though that was before Alvarez made her demand public on October 27.

What Wendy Alvarez Said

I did not agree to make my daughter part of anyone's political campaign.
Wendy Alvarez, Facebook post, October 27, 2026, via Yahoo News / Houston Chronicle

In a lengthy Facebook post, Alvarez wrote: 'Arlene was not a political party. She was not a campaign slogan. She was not a vote. She was my baby.' She has demanded the campaign remove the ad.

Arlene Alvarez was riding in the back seat of her family's pickup truck in Houston on February 14, 2022, when Tony Earls Jr. opened fire on the vehicle. Earls had just been robbed at gunpoint and mistakenly believed the robber had gotten inside. Arlene was struck in the head and died from her injuries. A grand jury initially declined to indict Earls, but new evidence from an FBI firearms expert led prosecutors to refile in 2024. In September 2025, a Harris County jury found him guilty of manslaughter and sentenced him to 20 years in prison, the statutory maximum.

Arlene's Law and the Prior Abbott Meeting

Wendy Alvarez had spent years trying to channel her grief into legislation. Arlene's Law is a proposed bill that would increase criminal penalties for reckless firearm handling, the category that covered Earls's conduct. Alvarez had met Abbott, taken a photograph with him, and sought his backing for the bill. 'My fight was never about Republicans or Democrats,' she wrote. She is clear that the meeting was advocacy, not an endorsement.

Abbott appointed April Aguirre to the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct in January 2025 and reappointed her in June 2026. Alvarez describes Aguirre as her best friend since their teenage years and says she believes Aguirre acted in good faith and without pay. She does not blame her.

The backlash in online comments has left Alvarez saying she is 'emotionally exhausted.' She announced in the same post that she is stepping back from the push for Arlene's Law for now. 'I am stepping away from this controversy to protect my family, my peace, and my daughter's memory,' she wrote. 'She deserved a future, not a campaign commercial.'

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Political advertising has long used victims' stories to make public safety arguments. What is unusual here is not the argument but the consent gap. Abbott's campaign got permission from the aunt, a public advocate who holds a gubernatorial appointment. It did not ask the mother. That is not necessarily a legal violation: Aguirre owned the photo she brought and appeared of her own will. It is a failure of process for an ad built on the premise that the Abbott administration protects Texas families.

Wendy Alvarez does not blame Aguirre. She blames the campaign for not reaching her first. That framing is notable: she is careful to protect a friendship while making a pointed political objection. The campaign's answer, that it was simply not aware Wendy's permission was needed, is the kind of response that might be legally defensible while being politically costly.

Abbott faces Democrat Gina Hinojosa in the 2026 Texas governor's race. The ad was promoted on his campaign website on October 21 and has not been removed as of October 27, 2026. Wendy Alvarez has made her demand public. The campaign has not publicly responded to it.

Ad Watch News is an independent commentary site with no affiliation with Governor Greg Abbott, the Abbott reelection campaign, Wendy Alvarez, or any party mentioned in this story. This piece draws on published sources listed below.

Abbott Ad Used a Slain Girl's Photo. Her Mother Was Never Asked.

What Wendy Alvarez Said

Arlene's Law and the Prior Abbott Meeting

Our Read

Sources & further reading

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