Democratic candidate for governor Beto O'Rourke courts voters in Snyder, Lubbock
SNYDER ‒ Beto O'Rourke drew 200 attendees to an event in a town where residents said they think twice before displaying a yard sign for a Democratic candidate.
The Democratic candidate for governor hosted two town halls in West Texas communities Thursday, the third day of the monthslong Drive for Texas campaign tour.
In Snyder, the county seat of Scurry County, supporters outnumbered a group of attendees wearing Donald Trump apparel. Later that evening in Lubbock, 800 people packed the Science Spectrum museum to hear the candidate.
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With incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's favorability falling, in rural communities O'Rourke is focusing on health care, education and jobs to attract voters who might not have previously considered his campaign.
O'Rourke and his campaign team embarked on the 49-day tour this week. They will drive more than 5,000 miles to visit 65 Texas counties. The tour kicked off July 19 in El Paso and then headed through the Permian Basin and on to the Texas Plains.
O'Rourke faces Abbott in the Nov. 8 general election.
O'Rourke said he is visiting communities like Snyder to connect with voters who rarely hear from statewide politicians. The latest polling shows him five points behind Abbott.
"To show up and show some respect and demonstrate how valuable they are to me and this state, I think that's powerful," he said after the event at the Scurry County Library.
Deedee Lynch of the Scurry County Democrats, which hosted O'Rourke's visit, said they wanted to publicly show there are Democratic voters in Snyder. O'Rourke encouraged those who disagree with his politics to join the conversation. While some critics chose to stay outside, most entered and waited to ask questions.
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"The fact that you are here is a testament that our government still works," O'Rourke said, nodding toward several attendees with Trump paraphernalia, as he opened his remarks.
When an audience member asked if O'Rourke intended to take away people's guns, he responded, "We can defend the Second Amendment while protecting the lives of people."
O'Rourke repeated the tenets of his gun safety platform, which focuses on implementing red flag laws, requiring background checks and repealing permitless carry in Texas.
The crowd cheered at his response and again when he clearly stated women should be able to make their own reproductive health decisions.
In Scurry County, the Permian Basin yields to the plains, and both oilfields and extensive wind farms provide jobs and revenues. O'Rourke spoke to the importance of keeping oil jobs in Texas while leading the development of renewable energies, including wind and solar.
The El Pasoan painted himself as the common sense alternative to Abbott's hard turn to the right. Whether that message breaks through in a polarized political climate remains to be seen.
"We all have a vested interest in this state doing better for ourselves, for our families, and for the generations to come," he said to the crowd in Snyder.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Beto O'Rourke courts voters in Snyder, Lubbock in governor's race
