Beto O'Rourke is set to run against Greg Abbott in 2022 as Texas Governor's approval rating drops to 45% after banning masks and new legislation banning abortions after six weeks
Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke is planning to challenge incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in Texas' 2022 gubernatorial race.
The former three-term congressman and 2020 presidential candidate is expected to formally announce his bid later this year, state political operatives confirmed to Axios on Sunday.
He has reportedly been soliciting advice from his political allies, which has left them with the impression that he will be running for governor.
However, O'Rourke's former House chief of staff and a longtime adviser says: 'No decision has been made'.
'He has been making and receiving calls with people from all over the state,' said David Wysong.
Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke (pictured at a protest in Austin, Texas of May 8, 2021) is planning to challenge incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in Texas' 2022 gubernatorial race. He has reportedly been soliciting advice from his political allies
O'Rourke - a high-profile Democratic candidate - would be campaigning during what some refer to as a 'complicated political environment,' citing a 'brutal midterm election' at the national level that could result in Democrats losing the House of Representatives next year.
Meanwhile, in Texas, lawmakers are dealing with divides regarding coronavirus regulations and vaccine mandates, the controversial heartbeat abortion bill and border control concerns.
Amidst the ongoing controversies, O'Rourke's Democratic colleagues say he's their 'strongest candidate' and they want him to run.
'We hope that he's going to run,' Gilberto Hinojosa, the state chair of the Democratic Party, told the news outlet.
'We think he'll be our strongest candidate. We think he can beat Abbott, because he's vulnerable.
'His prohibition against mask and vaccination mandates have not gone over well with Texans and with the abortion law, Republicans have raised the anger level of Texas women higher than anyone has ever seen before.'
In a Dallas Morning News poll released Sunday, Gov. Greg Abbott's approval rate dropped 45 percent, likely in wake of his ban on mask mandates and the heartbeat bill. However, poll participants still indicated that they favored Abbott over O'Rourke 42 percent to 37 percent
O'Rourke developed a national profile when he ran against Ted Cruz for a U.S. Senate seat in 2018. O'Rourke lost, but fared better than expected against the sitting Republican Senator.
In a Dallas Morning News poll released Sunday, Abbott's approval rate dropped 45 percent, likely in wake of his ban on mask mandates and the heartbeat bill.
However, poll participants still indicated that they favored Abbott over O'Rourke 42 percent to 37 percent.
O'Rourke has seen an increase in support recently, narrowing the 12-point deficit reported in July.
Actor Matthew McConaughey has also hinted that he is entertaining the idea of running for Texas governor as well. It is unclear under what party he would run, if any.
Actor Matthew McConaughey (pictured at a History Channel event in NYC in Feb. 2020) has also hinted that he may run for Texas governor. Poll data indicates that McConaughey has gone from slightly behind Abbott to 9 points ahead in a hypothetical match-up
In July, he delivered a positive message to celebrate Independence Day, calling for unity across the nation.
'Happy birthday America, as we celebrate our independence today, as we celebrate our birth as a nation, the day that kickstarted a revolution to gain our sovereignty,' he said.
'Let's admit this last year's trip around the sun was another head scratcher, but let's also remember that we are babies - as a country we are basically going through puberty in comparison to other countries' timelines - and we're going to get the growing pains. And we are going through growing pains, this is not an excuse to say, this is just a reality.
'We got to keep building and maintain hope along the way as we continue to evolve. Why? Cause it's who we are; Why? because the alternative sucks!'
McConaughey - who has not declared his candidacy in the 2022 Texas gubernatorial race against Abbott - has gone from slightly behind Abbott to 9 points ahead in a hypothetical match-up, according to poll data released Sunday.
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