Beto O'Rourke tells NY Times columnist he hopes abortion, gun control land him upset in Texas
Democrat Beto O'Rourke faces off against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott this November.
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Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke hopes Texas voters will prioritize abortion rights and gun control to give him victory in the upcoming November election, according to a New York Times column.
O'Rourke, who trails behind Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in the polls, told the paper he is counting on anger over the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade to motivate Democrats.
"The Dobbs decision, of course, is galvanizing for turnout everywhere," he told left-wing Times columnist Charles Blow.
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Texas Democrat gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke speaks at a primary election gathering in Fort Worth, Texas, March 1, 2022. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Blow, a strong supporter of Democrats, tied the registration of thousands of younger, more progressive voters in the state since June, to the Dobbs decision.
O'Rourke told the columnist he also hopes his Republican opponent's "lack of movement on gun control" will galvanize these voters.
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Despite backlash to the Dobbs ruling, abortion trails far behind crime and inflation concerns, according to a new ABC News/WSJ poll out Sunday.
Democrat Beto O'Rourke and Republican Greg Abbott will face off in the Texas race for governor this November. (Chris Saucedo/Getty Images for SXSW | Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
In Texas and nationally, the economy remains the top concern for voters, as inflation rose 8.3% in August, according to the Consumer Price Index.
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A majority of voters disapprove of President Biden's handling of the economy and trust Republicans by a larger margin to handle their top concerns.
President Biden's former press secretary, Jen Psaki, admitted on Sunday that Democrats will lose if the midterms become a referendum on Biden.
Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke speaks during the state Democratic Party convention in Manchester, New Hampshire, Sept. 7, 2019. (Associated Press)