Opinion: Texas Democrats Will Take the Governor's Mansion in November

The Texas Tribune

To politic nerds, election day is like the Super Bowl.

For months, sometimes even years, we watch as candidates go toe to toe within their own party, and then outside of it. Trying desperately to convince their constituents that the views that they stand for are best for voters as a whole. They attempt to debate their way through longstanding two-party loyalty, and fundraise theirselves into mass marketing efforts.

And all within a 18 hour period they find out if any of it even mattered.

However, due to our lack of restrictions on term limits for certain offices, every now and then you have a politician who comes along and gets too comfortable in that seat.

They represent their constituents for years, re-elected term after term, growing complacent in the ever changing stances of their voters.

The dating stage is over. No more honeymooning. They consider themselves (and their voters) to be a sure thing, and therefore the sweet nothings have been replaced with self-serving actions and decision making. The type that benefits only the politician and the corporations whose pockets provide for them.

Here we introduce Greg Abbott.

Formerly the Attorney General to the state, Abbott was first elected as the governor of Texas in 2014 and then again in 2018. As Texas is one of only fourteen states without gubernatorial term limits, this upcoming election will be his third. If he wins (which should be nearly a guarantee in such a deep red state) then he would become only the fifth Texas governor to serve three terms.

But a sure-fire win isn't looking as prominent for him this time around.

And the reason for that can be summed up in one word: Beto.

Houston Chronicle

First gaining national recognition when he ran against Ted Cruz for senator in 2018, Beto O'Rourke has become a figurative symbol for the progressive left. In a state that is dominated by conservative views and has voted Republican in every election since 1980, he came out of nowhere and nearly unseated one of the most well known members of the senate.

Four years (and a failed presidential bid) later, he's back again and looking to shake things up once more. This time by taking on Greg Abbott in a fight for the Governor's Mansion.

The current political climate is doing Gregg Abbott no favors.

K. Revs

2022 has been a hurricane of a year for politics in a huge way. Debates over taxes and the war on drugs seem almost petty in comparison to the chaos that has been sweeping through our nation, most of which reflect terribly on the Republican party. In Texas especially, where 34% of new residents are hailing from a very liberal California, the backlash from banger after banger of these jaw-dropping events are proving disastrous.

Between the blatant assault on woman's reproductive rights with the overturning of Roe v. Wade by an unjust and stolen conservative Supreme Court, and the massacre of 21 innocents by legally purchased assault rifle at Robb Elementary (a tragedy that occurred within the state of Texas, mind you), the most recent polling shows that O'Rourke currently sits within five points of Abbott.

This can be attributed to a variety of factors.

It could be because 78% of Texans believes in a woman's right to make her own choices about her body.

It could be because just hours after nineteen elementary schoolers were killed in a classroom, Greg Abbott went to a fundraiser for his re-election campaign.

It could even be because Beto is ready and willing to go toe to toe with the incumbent governor as many times as needed to get his points across.

Regardless of the why, one thing is certain.

The "silent majority" that was so instrumental in electing Donald Trump is no more.

The new silent majority, at least deep in the heart of Texas, are those who are tired of the slow creep towards totalitarianism. And of the raging anger and bullying in the modern day Republican party.

This silent majority...Well, they're going to turn Texas blue on November 8.