Texas finally has a democratic contender for the governor’s race in 2022. Monday morning, Beto O’Rourke announced his bid to run against Greg Abbott in next year’s election. O’Rourke made a name for himself back in 2018 when he ran against Ted Cruz for his senate seat. Although Beto lost, he definitely left an impression on his fellow Texans. Beto then led an initiative to get Texans registered to vote. According to O’Rourke, Texas isn’t a red state but a state with low voter turnout and I agree. O’Rourke is running on the platform that he will work for all Texans and now is a time for change. Abbott has already started attacking O’Rourke by using O’Rourke’s stance on assault rifles. O’Rourke stated in his announcement that his attitude has not changed on this issue because he wants his friends and family to be safe. Below are a few more highlights from the Texas Tribune:
“I’m running to serve the people of Texas, and I want to make sure that we have a governor that serves everyone, helps to bring this state together to do the really big things before us and get past the small, divisive politics and policies of Greg Abbott,” O’Rourke said in an interview with The Texas Tribune. “It is time for change.”
The former El Paso congressman, 2018 U.S. Senate nominee and 2020 presidential contender said he was running for governor to improve public schools, health care and jobs in Texas. But O’Rourke also took sharp aim at Abbott’s record, citing new laws he backed this year that ban most abortions in Texas, tighten voting rules and allow permitless carry of handguns. He also criticized Abbott over the February power grid failure that left most of the state without electricity in subfreezing temperatures and his response to the coronavirus pandemic that has recently been focused on fighting vaccine and mask mandates.
In a video announcing his campaign Monday morning, O’Rourke focuses heavily on the grid failure, saying Texans were “abandoned by those who were elected to serve and look out for them.” O’Rourke said in the interview that Abbott “has stopped listening to and trusting the people of Texas.”
“He doesn’t trust women to make their health care decisions, doesn’t trust police chiefs when they tell him not to sign the permitless carry bill into law, he doesn’t trust voters so he changes the rules of our elections, and he doesn’t trust local communities,” O’Rourke said, referring to Abbott’s policies preventing local officials from making their own pandemic rules.
You all have no idea how excited I was to receive that email. I was really concerned that the Democratic party was missing an opportunity to shore up Texas by investing in this election. I understood that O’Rourke may be conflicted about running for governor. Folks were holding their breath in Texas, including me. I feel like O’Rourke has the best chance to beat Abbott. Even Republicans dislike a lot of the bills forced through by Abbott, namely the new anti-abortion law and permitless gun carrying. O’Rourke will be able to attack Abbott’s record these last two years. I also think O’Rourke should go after how Dan Patrick (current Lieutenant Governor) and Ted Cruz left the state when we were freezing and without power.
Texas hasn’t had a Democrat as governor since Ann Richards in 1995. It is time the state be handed over to people with some damn sense. I am sure this will be a dirty election cycle but I think O’Rourke and his team are ready for the attacks. I hope that the Dems simplify their message so that people understand how important it is to vote Abbott out. I will more than likely help with the campaign and I hope that people get out and vote. As a proud Texan, Abbott has to go.
I’m running for governor.
Together, we can push past the small and divisive politics that we see in Texas today — and get back to the big, bold vision that used to define Texas. A Texas big enough for all of us.
Join us: https://t.co/eMY5wwf6an pic.twitter.com/yrG1WOkpqk
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) November 15, 2021
I love you, San Antonio! https://t.co/GgBTZTnevF
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) November 16, 2021
Photos credit: Avalon.red and via Instagram
Abbott is awful, but I’m not terribly optimistic about Beto’s chances. Unless he’s learned a LOT since the Vanity Fair puff piece, he doesn’t have the gravitas to pull this off. I will vote for him of course, as will every middle aged liberal white woman I know, but I’m not sure he will generate enough excitement with independents and annoyed Republicans.
100% agree with you. I think he’s the best chance to unseat Abbott, but if he loses – again – his career is over. He’ll be a 3 time loser then (Senate, Presidential candidate, Governor). That Vanity Fair piece still just turns me off, and I’ll never forget Mayor Pete snapping at him that he didn’t need to be lectured about courage. Snap!
I’m optimistic that he learned. Unlike most Republicans he seems to possess humility and is capable of introspection. Not to mention he has been on the ground doing the work. I really hope he can pull off a victory but it will take getting out every. single. vote. And thankfully he understands this.
Texan here. I personally am very excited that he’s running and I hope to campaign for him in some way. He came so close to winning against Cruz, and he’s done a lot of good here while being an ordinary citizen since then—from voter registration drives and getting people to the polls, stumping for democratic candidates to welfare checks during the ice storm. He walks the walk on caring for Texans.
Trolls are already out on social media here though. His presidential run did some damage—I think he swung too extreme to win here in Texas. His views on gun policy were very unpopular. I think that’s what really sank him, and Texans love their guns. I think he’s got to loosen up on some of his positions to win here. I do think he tends to listen carefully to the people. So maybe he’ll change some of his positions.
But I really hope he wins!
Fellow Texan here. I hate guns myself but Beto will never win if he doesn’t say something to support gun ownership in some capacity. Texans love their guns, it’s like “God, guns, family” in this state. Abbott needs to go.
I love Beto. He got a lot of flack for his unfortunate Presidential campaign but he is a brave guy who isn’t afraid to voice his opinions. His family received a ton of death threats because of his anti semi automatic weapons stance and I hope they continue to have good security.
That’s because almost all guns are at least semi-automatic. A revolver is a semi-automatic. He was throwing automatic and semi-automatic around like they were interchangeable, and they are not. Thankfully, he has stopped doing that and is being more clear and concise in his views. Fingers crossed for a win for him!
I love Beto, but I’m not optimistic. His gun stance and unfortunate presidential campaign are gonna be his downfall. There’s no room for nuance with GOP voters. And even with how terrible he is and all the culture war, anti-everyone not a white male policies he’s pushed through, I’m not sure Abbott is hated enough.
Yes!!! He walks the walk! I voted for him during the senate race. I’ll vote for him for the governor’s race.
Beto is a gifted organizer because he’s a good role model — he just goes out and DOES it. He has been very active in the last year trying to get people in motion against the terrible new voting and abortion laws here. He’s been a huge inspiration for our activist democratic state reps, whom I’m very proud of. I’ve been meaning to get re-trained as a voter registrar (my authorization expired last year) but haven’t gotten around to doing it — now I’m excited and ready to go out and canvas for Beto and register voters! Even if Beto doesn’t win he can be the tide that helps us flip our state House of Representatives blue. Texans deserve better that what we’ve got.
Another Texan here and I am nervous but always have hope! I believe he has Stacey Abrams helping him so fingers crossed and all that.
One can only hope.
Yes @LBB and @Barbie1 – hope is always alive and positive things can happen. The compromise too much on the values side and that this is the grown-up thing in order to win is a relic. I truly want that to be on the way out, some pain along the way is to be expected, but worth it. Of course, MMc is counting on the pandering option for his chances.
I’m really glad he’s running! Abbott has been so terrible for the people of Texas.
I felt Beto was not experienced enough for POTUS, but him running then may have been smart – it put him on the national stage, and he’s been pretty well vetted through all that.
I was really impressed with his voter outreach, and his volunteer efforts during the grid freeze. He was on the ground, actually helping people.
Dan Patrick left the state too?! Ted Cruz and his Cancun trip caught the spotlight so I didn’t know Patrick was doing the same. Man, that guy – he’s a frackin death eater. I remember him saying at the start of the pandemic that old people should be willing to die to keep the economy going.
Patrick, Abbott, and attorney general Ken Paxton are the triumvirate of evil in Texas. I hope so much that Beto can bring them down, but it’s hard to win fairly against people who play dirty.
I visit a town in East Texas at least once a year to see family members, and when Beto was running for Senate, all the signs I saw — in a town that went for Trump by a 13% margin in 2016 — were Beto signs. I am really hopeful that Beto can pull this off. I believe he would be a great governor for TX. Yes he made a lot of clumsy moves during the presidential run, but he has the qualifications and intelligence to be great and hopefully he will be smoother on the campaign trail this time.
I am not from TX. I am from CA but Beto has caught my eye when he did that speech on kneeling. From there on, I have always supported him. Went to his rallies here in LA during his presidential run and campaign for him online. I have high hopes that he will win this time. He looks to be more prepared and really ready to challenge the status quo. Will do my share from here to get him to the finish line.
Abbott has a boatload of money but I’m hoping he faces serious primary challenges from the wacko right to use up as much of that money as possible before the general election. Hoping hard for Beto for Governer.
I’ve always liked Beto. Decent guy. Unfortunately, you have to be the Devil himself to win Texas (I point to the current governor).