Beto O'Rourke makes final pitch to Amarillo at 'Get Out the Vote Rally' Thursday

Democratic Texas Gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke returned to Amarillo Thursday evening for a “Get Out the Vote Rally” at the Four Points Sheraton in Amarillo.

A crowd of approximately 280 people came out to support O’Rourke and his campaign, including Kathleen Brown, who is running for the 13th Congressional District seat against U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, and Janet Dudding, the Democratic candidate for Texas comptroller. This was the sixth time that O’Rourke had campaigned in Amarillo since the start of his gubernatorial campaign.

As Brown introduced O’Rourke, the crowd rose to their feet in applause as he took the stage to hammer home his stance on issues affecting people of the Panhandle and Texas.

“We were not going to wrap up this campaign without coming to Amarillo one more time,” O’Rourke said to the crowd. “Democrats have often written this part of the country off as too red. Because Democrats see it as too tough to win at the margins this area represents. Republicans, because Democrats do not show up, do not have to come out and earn your vote. Greg Abbott is sleeping on you guys.”

O’Rourke started off by speaking about the importance of people getting out to vote and not assuming their vote does not matter.

“We have to give people a reason to believe and vote,” O'Rourke appealed to the crowd. “We are going to win this election and shock Texas.”

One of the primary focuses of O’Rourke’s campaign has been taking better care of Texas teachers, with the state trailing 27 states in teacher pay. He cited the lack of cost of living raises for teachers of the state and the amount of out-of-pocket expenses that the occupation occurs.

RELATED: Six mass shootings and 90 dead. What has Gov. Abbott done and has it been enough?

O’Rourke spoke about his support for veteran issues, especially those who have suffered from their service with opioid addiction trying to treat their ailments. He supported the legalization of marijuana as an alternative to dangerous opioids and criticized incarceration for the use of marijuana.

“Far too many in this country are incarcerated for nonviolent drug crimes,” O’Rourke said.

Emphasizing that while all races of people use marijuana at about the same rate, O’Rourke stated that disproportionately people of color are stopped, searched and arrested in the upholding of these laws.

The ability to register to vote more easily and the vast difference in voting wait times in specific areas was brought up by O’Rourke as things that need to be fixed within the state. O’Rourke criticized the removal of voting locations and the long wait times in minority communities in the state. He pledged that he would replace the Texas state holiday of Confederate’s Hero Day with an Election Day holiday if governor.

Citing the Texas abortion ban implemented by Gov. Abbott as the most restrictive in the nation, O’Rourke criticized the removal of women’s reproductive rights and its lack of any restrictions, including rape or incest. Previously, Gov. Abbott said there was no need for exceptions since the state would work tirelessly to eliminate rape within the state, which led the nation the same year in the number of rapes.

O’Rourke continued to call for reasonable gun safety measures that would make all purchases subject to a background check and supported red flag laws to legally determine if a person should have a firearm if certain suspect behavior is shown, which may make them a danger to the public. He further criticized Abbott’s decision to do away for the need for concealed carry permits in the state of Texas.

He said that the mass shootings in El Paso and Uvalde could have been prevented if red flag laws were in place and that there were signs that pointed to these individuals being unstable before their horrible actions.

O’Rourke criticized Abbott for being more committed to profits for his energy sector donors than to the constituents he serves, as they pay a much higher cost for energy usage while the companies make record profits, and the state cannot maintain its power grid.

Addressing immigration, O’Rourke says that the border issue must be addressed by actual solutions rather than political stunts like Abbott’s shipping asylum seekers across the country just to get camera views. He also said that the rhetoric that the Republican party is espousing has been dangerous and led to the radicalization of people like the shooter in El Paso, who cited an immigrant invasion as his reason behind the opening of fire in a Walmart, killing 23 people.

A path to have visas for immigrants to help many businesses, especially agricultural ones that have seen a severe labor shortage, was brought up by O’Rourke during the rally as a solution to help employers that desperately need feet on the ground. He said that people come here for work and there are opportunities and need for this labor.

As O’Rourke concluded his rally, he took the time to take pictures with supporters who lined the wall waiting for the opportunity. He met with everyone who waited in line.

O’Rourke met with the media during the meet and greet and addressed some questions about several topics.

Mental health was brought up as a major issue in the state. O’Rourke stated that Texas ranked worst in the nation in access to mental health care, supported by a study from Mental Health America. He said that too often jails and prisons are the only mental health care that people receive.

O'Rourke stated that he has a plan that would encourage more people to go into treating mental health and make incentives for people to get this type of training and to serve in the communities that they are from. He spoke of a six-year commitment to the areas based on receiving educational benefits.

Asked about the current governor’s approach to immigration, such as sending asylum seekers across the country, O’Rourke addressed his contrasting approach.

“If you want to come to this country, you must follow our laws. I will work with all Texans to see that our laws reflect our values and economic needs,” O‘Rourke said. “That means working on real solutions, not media stunts like our current governor. There must be a safe, legal orderly path for someone to come to this country. A Texas-based guest worker program would help meet the needs at our farms, industrial and restaurants that desperately need workers.”

Asked about the current price of oil and gas and its effect on Texas residents, O’Rourke said that he wants the state to be able to responsibility produce more of this energy in Texas, protecting the jobs that we have but also expanding leadership in developing other energy technologies such as wind and solar that will benefit all Texans.

O’Rourke also lamented the lack of health care and the loss of rural hospitals in Texas, a state with the most residents without health insurance in the nation. He said that once elected, he would expand Medicare in the state to help address that issue.

Tearanee Lockhart, who attended the rally, said that she came out to support O’Rourke because she feels that he can genuinely make a change for the better in the state. She said she is frustrated that many people do not come and vote with so many issues that affect everyone.

“I think his support of women’s rights and the access of the vote are the things that make me want to support him,” Lockhart said. “Abbott does not care about the people of the state, just the big corporations; we should have better representation.”

Amber Aguirre and Summer Lindsey both came out to the rally due to O’Rourke’s support of women and LGBT issues.

“Guns have more rights than we do,” Aguirre said. "We do not even have bodily autonomy as women.”

"In what way is it okay what a woman can do with their body,” Lindsey said. “I am very much with the ability for me or others to choose what to do with their body.”

Both Aguirre and Lindsey feel that the first thing that O’Rourke should address is the state abortion ban if elected.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Texas Gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke makes final pitch to Amarillo