By Tripp Henderson | Staff Writer
Gov. Greg Abbott made a morning stop in Temple at Clem Mikeska’s Bar-B-Q Thursday to rally voters and encourage midterm turnout as early voting opens across Texas.
Early voter turnout already exceeds previous years, with the Associated Press reporting a 74% increase in Texas since the 2022 midterms. These numbers come as a highly competitive Texas Senate race unfolds, with an energized Democratic base trying to flip a Senate seat blue for the first time in 30 years.
“We’re seeing the Democrats be energized,” Abbott said. “They have hope behind their backs, and we must together go out and crush their hope and ensure it’s going to be Republicans who win these elections.”
State Rep. Brad Buckley introduced Abbott at the event and stressed the importance of voting for Republicans in the midterms.
“Vote red up and down the ballot,” Buckley said.
The governor encouraged attendees to download his app, “Abbott Impact,” and upload their phone contacts. Once uploaded, the contacts sync with the Texas voter database and users can see which contacts have voted or not voted.
Abbott emphasized reaching out to contacts who haven’t voted yet and encouraging them to do so.
“If you really want to keep Texas red, I need you to go do your part,” Abbott said. “Go vote today, and then use your app and go turn out Republican voters across the state. When we do that, people are going to wake up on November 3rd, they’re going to see a red tsunami.”
To begin his speech, Abbott promoted the Texas economy, pointing to 2.6 million jobs added to Texas since the beginning of his tenure as governor, record-high wages and an all-time low poverty rate.
“Texas is on fire with regard to the economy,” Abbott said.
Additionally, Abbott highlighted his affordability plan, which he claimed would cut the cost of living for the average Texas family by more than $4,000 a year and make “Texas the number one most affordable state in the United States of America.”
Beyond touting economic success, Abbott also spent time attacking his opponent in the gubernatorial race, Democrat Gina Hinojosa, calling her “radical, left and absolutely crazy.”
Abbott specifically targeted the differences in his and Hinojosa’s immigration policy. He said the common-sense approach to immigration is securing the border, and that Hinojosa opposes that idea.
“[Hinojosa] must never be allowed to get close to the levers of the governor’s office in the state of Texas,” Abbott said. “In November, we will ensure that [does not happen] because I am going to win reelection for four more years.”
