Beto O'Rourke

The governor said Tuesday he has agreed to debate O’Rourke, his Democratic opponent, on Sept. 30 in the Rio Grande Valley.

The Democratic gubernatorial hopeful kicked off his 49-day Drive for Texas campaign — a 5,600-mile trek with stops across the state — in El Paso Tuesday night and pulled no punches in his verbal assault against incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.

The party is focused on winning in November. Democrats hope the current energy they’re seeing in Texas will continue and help them be successful at the polls.

Democrats in Texas feel they have a real chance of winning several big elections in November, including the governor’s race. But delegates want stronger, more cohesive messaging.

Incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott entered this year with a much larger war chest and may still have the financial upper hand against his challenger.

Erica Lawrence, a Montgomery County resident and president of the Democratic Club of The Woodlands, acknowledges that winning takes time. But, she believes it’s possible.

The Democratic gubernatorial challenger plans to hold 70 public events in more than 65 counties.

The Republican incumbent’s lead over his Democratic challenger shrank last month, according to a Texas Politics Project poll. The 6-point gap is smaller than when Republican George W. Bush ousted Democrat Ann Richards in 1994.

The Republican governor is stressing one of his biggest advantages — money — as he faces a competitive challenge for reelection.

“The notion that borders are open is wrong, and it kind of fires up a very specific political base that's responsive to kind of fear mongering,” said Aileen Teague, who teaches international affairs at Texas A&M.

A new Quinnipiac University poll shows that Gov. Greg Abbott’s 15% lead has shrunk to 5% over Beto O’Rourke as more Texas voters now say gun policies are a top priority.

O’Rourke became known on the presidential campaign trail for his “Hell yes” promise to ban assault weapons. He’s been less vocal about the policy in his run for governor but this week, after the school shooting in Uvalde, he’s been newly assertive about the issue.