Texas Gov. Greg Abbott fended off a primary challenge by shifting his focus to the culture wars on the edges of the Republican Party’s right wing, setting up a potential test of the GOP strategy nationwide.
His general-election opponent, Democrat Beto O’Rourke, launched his campaign bid with attacks on Abbott’s governing competence, particularly his handling of last year’s winter storm when Texas’s power grid failed, as well as economic issues.
But O’Rourke made clear on Tuesday that he’ll engage Abbott in the culture war fight. As governor, he said, he would roll back Abbott’s restrictions on abortion and “this crazy aggressive pursuit of transgender children in our communities, our schools and our families.”
