Beto O'Rourke campaigns with Democratic candidates on Texas Tech campus in Lubbock
In front of hundreds of college students, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke and other Democratic candidates for state and local office visited the Texas Tech University campus Tuesday to help promote voter registration and stump for their campaigns.
The former Congressman from El Paso told the crows in Tech's Frazier Alumni Pavilion that he would work to ensure rural Texas is getting the necessary resources it needs to succeed.
“One of the best things that we can do for rural Texas is to expand Medicaid. It'll bring $10 billion of our federal income taxes back to our communities,” he said. “These 16 rural hospitals that are closed down - they stand a better chance of reopening we can hire more providers and expand access to mental health care.”
Expanding broadband internet and supporting public education are things that will help rural Texas get ahead, he said.
O'Rourke also talked about relegalizing abortions in the state after the Supreme Court knocked down Roe v. Wade this summer.
“I just want to remind you of our history to make the point that not only can we overcome this, we've overcome it before,” he said. “50 years ago, abortion was just as illegal in the state of Texas as it is today.”
When asked if he would work with Republicans in relegalizing abortion, O'Rourke said yes, adding that he would work toward a compromise.
“If we can move from the most extreme abortion ban in America that begins at conception but no exception for rape or incest, and ensure that Texas women can make their own decisions about their own bodies — I'll work with anyone any time anywhere, including Republican legislators," O'Rourke said.
O’Rourke said he would also work to legalize marijuana and help ensure that teachers are treated fairly by increasing their wages and allowing them to focus on students more by canceling the STARR exam.
He also pledged to increase funding to veteran assistance programs to help veterans have a place to live and get the medical attention they deserve.
Getting Texas Tech and other higher education institutions added to the Permanent University Fund, a state fund that is derived from oil and gas revenues largely from rural Texas and currently only support the University of Texas and Texas A&M, is another priority, O'Rourke said.
For context, the PUF is a public endowment that generates revenue from 2.1 million acres of land in 19 West Texas counties that the University of Texas and Texas A&M benefit from, according to the University of Texas/Texas A&M Investment Management Company.
“UT Austin has the largest endowment of any public university in the United States of America today,” he said. “I just want to make sure that the wealth and resources that finance that originates here and also come back here as well, I don't think that's asking too much. In addition to Tech, there are other public Texas universities that are really struggling to find access for students.”
In addition to advocating for voter registration and his platforms, O'Rourke's team also discussed their latest campaign finance numbers, setting a record of $25 million raised since July.
O'Rourke said he is encouraged by the 500,000-plus unique contributions he's seen and said said they out paced Republican incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott by more than $3 million since the last reporting term.
"The fact that this money is coming from the people of Texas and more than any other group is school teachers and educators who want to make sure that we better deliver for kids in classrooms," he said. "We're going to have the resources to win this race and coming down this homestretch with literally 28 days to go – it's pretty encouraging."
This visit to Lubbock marks O’Rourkes third time coming to Lubbock this year. In addition, Janet Dudding, the Democratic nominee for comptroller of Texas, and Susan Hays, candidate for commissioner of agriculture, also campaigned at the event.
This was at least the third visit by O'Rourke to Lubbock during his gubernatorial campaign ahead of the Nov. 8 election, with early voting beginning Oct. 24.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Beto O'Rourke campaigns at Texas Tech in Lubbock
