Texas Gov. Abbott: ‘Now It’s Time To Go To Work’

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) won reelection over Beto O’Rourke by almost 12 percentage points and declared to the state that it is now time to go to work.

He gave his victory speech in the Rio Grande Valley and told the crowd there, “I ran for the farmers and ranchers down here on the border who pleaded for a more secure border in the state of Texas. And I ran for the thousands of Texans who came up to me and they said, ‘Governor, just keep Texas Texas.’”

Abbott defeated Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke, a former Presidential candidate, Senate candidate, and now a gubernatorial candidate. For O’Rourke, all of his most well-known campaigns have ended in defeat.

O’Rourke was at one time the “darling” of the Democratic party, he was considered a shooting star who spoke well, held progressive beliefs, and was being groomed for the highest offices. As PBS articulated it, “The outcome now puts two of Texas’ biggest political figures — one who has already run for the White House, the other potentially eyeing a bid of his own — on opposite trajectories.”

Abbott strengthened his position both nationally and within the state of Texas. The 64-year-old governor has stated that he will not run for president in 2024, but his ability to garner support for his policies is as strong as any other potential candidate out there.

O’Rourke, on the other hand, must now confront the very real possibility that it is time for him to move on from politics. His latest failure in the Texas gubernatorial race is his third in four years, and only his attempt to unseat Sen. Cruz was even close.

While, according to Breitbart, O’Rourke focused his campaign on abortion rights, Abbott focused on the issues that voters really cared about including inflation, immigration, crime, and the economy. With Abbott’s popularity as high as ever and President Biden’s shrinking by the month, O’Rourke faced an uphill climb.

In the end, Abbott remained in control of a race that was not even close, and in his words, “Tonight Texans sent a message that they want to keep the Lone Star State the beacon of opportunity that we provided over the past eight years.”