Beto O’Rourke, Abbott on what will ‘sell well’ as speculation grows around TX Gov race

According to the tweet, Abbott said O’Rourke’s positions on gun control, the energy sector, and immigration won’t “sell well” with Texans. His comments resulted in O’Rourke tweeting what he believes doesn’t “sell well” for the Governor.

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“You know what doesn’t ‘sell well’ @GregAbbott_TX? The fact that 36,000 Texans have died from Covid,” he wrote. “Your (you) have undermined public health and local leadership at every turn, and now too many of our family, friends and neighbors are dead because of it.”

O’Rourke continued to add in the thread how Abbott should have followed the COVID-19 science from the start, as he says it could have saved lives and allowed others to go back to work. He noted there are more than 4 million unemployment claims, along with too many businesses sidelined, because Abbott couldn’t “do the right thing.”

The Democrat also commented on how he believes Abbott abandoned rural Texas due to 21 hospitals closing in rural counties since 2010, adding more than a million Texas could lose their phone and Internet service because the Governor cut subsidies for those providers.

READ ALSO: Beto O’Rourke calls Gov. Abbott’s response to COVID-19 ‘pathetic’

“On your watch: We are dead last in the ability to see a doctor, fill a prescription or ensure a woman can make her own decisions about her own body. Too many are dying of cervical cancer, diabetes, the flu- as well as Covid —because you’ve ensured they can’t get insured,” O’Rourke said in the Twitter thread.

Additionally, the 48-year-old pointed out how Abbott’s stance on gun control and “pleasing the NRA” led to fellow Texans losing their lives to gun violence. O’Rourke went on about Abbott’s stance on the $7.25 minimum wage in Texas, his views on education, and the foster children who died under state watch.

“Whether or not I run, I will do everything in my power to elect a Governor who looks out for everyone, keeps Texans safe, answers to the people instead of the special interests & guarantees that we all have equal opportunity to achieve our best in life,” O’Rourke said as he concluded his thread.

In 2018, Ted Cruz defeated O’Rourke in the race for the U.S. Senate. However, the Texas Tribune reports, the race was the closest in Texas in 40 years, with Cruz winning by 2.6 percent of the vote. Again, O’Rourke has still not announced a run, but this could be the start of an eventful campaign season.

Read his full Twitter Thread here:

Priscilla Aguirre is a general assignment reporter for MySA.com | [email protected] | @CillaAguirre