Beto O’Rourke today made official what many observers had speculated for some time, that he is going to run for Texas governor in 2022.
O’Rourke is a Democrat. The incumbent governor, Greg Abbott, is a Republican. It appears to be a fairly safe bet to suggest that O’Rourke will survive the Democratic Party primary next spring and that Abbott will be nominated by GOP voters at the same time.
That means the two of them will square off for Abbott’s job.
I want zero misunderstanding, as if there is any possibility of that occurring with this next statement: I want Abbott to lose his job!
He has been a disgrace as a governor and I say that with some regret. I knew him when he was a Texas Supreme Court justice and as state attorney general. I thought we had a nice professional relationship.
Abbott ran for governor after I left full-time journalism behind so our paths haven’t crossed since he took that office in 2015.
But, man, he has managed to piss me off royally since becoming governor.
I have detested his handling of the COVID pandemic and his refusal to let local governments take control of health matters in their communities. His support of that hideous anti-abortion bill and his declaration that he would work to “eliminate rape” from occurring is utterly laughable on its face. He has tacked so far to the right that there is virtually no room between himself and the precipice over which he would tumble.
Beto O’Rourke, a former Democratic congressman from El Paso, reached a high-water mark politically by nearly defeating Sen. Ted Cruz in the race for the U.S. Senate. He believes he still has the political chops to take on Abbott. I hope that is the case. Indeed, Abbott’s aforementioned COVID response and his legislative record have given O’Rourke plenty of ammo to use against the governor.
I hope he succeeds.
You go, Beto!