Texas politics

In response, Abbott said this was the time for Texans to come together and heal. O'Rourke is seeking to unseat the governor in the November election.

Paxton’s backers say they’re looking past the FBI investigation into Paxton and his felony indictment because he’s a a strong conservative advocate fighting the Biden administration.

Jay Kleberg and Sandragrace Martinez’s platforms are polar opposites — one focuses on climate change mitigation and the other addresses mental health challenges in the state. Whoever wins the May 24 runoff will appear on the ballot in November.

History shows there are few governors who have attempted to make immigration central to their campaigns, and it has worked — in the short term.

For Democrats, especially in Texas, tackling border issues is difficult on the campaign trail as the party is not in agreement about various policies. O’Rourke has had to distance himself from President Joe Biden’s border policies, while going after Gov. Greg Abbott’s.

Democrats say the governor’s plans to bus migrants out of state are inhumane, while some Republicans are calling his latest moves a campaign gimmick.

Abbott’s campaign has argued O’Rourke would “destroy the Texas miracle.” O’Rourke argues he’s the one who has run a business.

Despite coming to the Lone Star State with workers who often identify with progressive politics, California tech companies have so far made little protest over the state's recent rightward political shift.

The issue is no longer contained to just the party’s fringes — and it is unlikely to go away any time soon as the national fervor grows, Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive faces legal challenges and it factors prominently into a slew of GOP primary runoffs.

Political analysts say there is no reason for Gov. Greg Abbott to try to make a move toward the middle after the primary election. Meanwhile, Democratic opponent Beto O'Rourke is positioning himself as a candidate with bipartisan appeal — a move experts say may be a tough sell in 2022.