Beto O'Rourke says he's running for Texas governor
This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by JudyM (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).
Source: Texas Tribune
Beto ORourke is running for governor, challenging Republican Greg Abbott in a clash of two of Texas biggest politicians.
Im 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, ORourke 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 ORourke also took sharp aim at Abbotts 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.
Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/11/15/beto-orourke-texas-governor-2022/?utm_source=Texas+Tribune+Newsletters&utm_campaign=aed08178ed-trib-newsletters-breaking-alert&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d9a68d8efc-aed08178ed-102588729&mc_cid=aed08178ed&mc_eid=07a5a9056b
BumRushDaShow
(127,263 posts)Mr. ORourkes announcement on Monday sets the stage for a pitched political showdown over the future of the countrys largest Republican-led state.
By J. David Goodman
Nov. 15, 2021, 9:12 a.m. ET
HOUSTON Beto ORourke entered the race for Texas governor on Monday, challenging an ultraconservative and well-financed two-term Republican incumbent in a long-shot bid to win an office Democrats last occupied in 1995. The arrival of Mr. ORourke immediately set the stage for a pitched political showdown next November over the future of Texas at a time when the state with its expanding cities and diversifying population has appeared increasingly up for grabs.
Mr. ORourke, the former El Paso congressman and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, has been a darling of Texas Democrats and party activists since his run against Senator Ted Cruz in 2018. Though he lost the Senate race by nearly 3 percentage points, the fact that Mr. ORourke came close to unseating the incumbent Republican senator transformed Mr. ORourke into a national figure and convinced many Democrats that the state was on the cusp of turning blue.
His campaign hopes to rekindle that enthusiasm as it attempts to unseat the Republican governor seeking re-election to a third term, Greg Abbott. One recent public poll found Mr. ORourke nearly tied with Mr. Abbott in a hypothetical match up, and another showed him losing by nine. Those in positions of public trust have stopped listening to, serving and paying attention to and trusting the people of Texas, Mr. ORourke said in a video announcing his campaign that was released on Monday.
He contrasted the extremist policies of Texas Republicans that have limited abortion and expanded gun rights with positions that he said he would support, including expanding Medicaid and legalizing marijuana.And the video sought to recapture the anger felt by Texans when the states power grid failed in February. Its a symptom of a much larger problem that we have in Texas right now, he said. But Democrats have also seen their story of political change in Texas complicated by the results of the 2020 election.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/15/us/politics/beto-orourke-texas-governor-announcement.html
Lonestarblue
(9,874 posts)It will be an uphill battle to defeat Abbott in spite of all his failures, as a governor and a human being. Here are some statistics from the 2020 election.
Registered Voters 16,955,519
Voting Age Population (VAP) 21,596,071
Percentage of VAP Registered 78.51%
Turnout 11,315,056
Percent of Turnout to Registered 66.73%
Percent of Turnout to VAP 52.39%
I believe the key to a Beto win lies with younger voters. For the last year, Betos group has been focusing on registering voters, including on college campuses. Texas has a close to even divide between rural voters and urban voters. So far, the rural voters have carried the day, perhaps because many of them are older and more reliable voters. Democrats need a strong message here and a social media campaign that reaches younger voters.
PatrickforB
(14,514 posts)He may have difficulty finding donors, except small ones like us, and might have trouble getting big-name endorsements.
We'll see...I will donate.
IronLionZion
(45,250 posts)dutch777
(2,866 posts)I have formulated a theory that Repugs like Abbott and DeSantis win in purple states because of one issue voters. Be it gun rights, anti-abortion, lower taxes, less government or a blind eye to racism and discrimination, it seems some voters will pull the R lever over just one of these issues, no matter how all the rest of the issues and D policy proposals-- like better schools, improved health care, etc. are more in their long term interests.
JudyM
(29,122 posts)Dupe of https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142826952
Please continue discussion in that thread.