The crowd of more than 800 to see Beto O’Rourke last week in Fredericksburg was loud and boisterous. The size was notable, given that Fredericksburg is in a county that Donald Trump won by nearly fifty points.
No matter where he goes in Texas, O’Rourke is sticking to a similar script. That he will fix the grid, expand healthcare, and protect public schools. Though there were a few hecklers in Fredericksburg, O’Rourke stayed lighthearted, noting they support a candidate that never shows up.
O’Rourke remains in the middle of a 49-day bus tour around Texas. In many of the places he’s visited, he’s the first Democrat there in decades.
Polls still show Abbott in the lead by five to seven points. In 2018, Abbott bested Lupe Valdez with 55.8 percent of the vote. O’Rourke has 78 days to make up the difference.
Over the weekend, O’Rourke took his tour through Dallas County. On Friday, he attended a Shop Talk at the Kutinfed Barbershop, where he focused on issues impacting Black Texans. He pointed to south Dallas as being a healthcare dessert. He noted the governor should be doing everything in his or her power to increase the number of insured Texans, decreasing the maternal mortality rate, and ensuring more Texans have access to mental health services.
On Saturday, O’Rourke held a forum in DeSoto, where he was joined by Mayor Rachel Proctor. Speaking about the abortion ban in Texas (which takes effect this week), O’Rourke said that fifty years ago Texas women brought forth Roe v. Wade, and now Texas women will be at the forefront of reestablishing abortion rights.
Early voting for the November election begins October 24.
A longtime writer and journalist, Jessica was thrilled to join the Texas Signal where she could utilize her unique perspective on politics and culture. As the Features and Opinion Editor, she is responsible for coordinating editorials and segments from diverse authors. She is also the host of the podcast the Tex Mix, as well as the co-host for the weekly SignalCast. Jessica attended Harvard College, is a onetime fitness blogger, and has now transitioned to recreational runner (for which her joints are thankful).
