CNN
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Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke clashed over gun restrictions in a debate Friday night time, with O’Rourke claiming that Abbott blames “all people else” for mass shootings whereas “deceptive this state.”

“It’s been 18 weeks since their children have been killed, and never a factor has modified on this state to make it any much less seemingly that some other baby will meet the identical destiny,” O’Rourke stated of their debate on the College of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg. “All we’d like is motion, and the one particular person standing in our means is the governor of the state of Texas.”

Abbott was proven a video of a kid in Uvalde asking why Texas won’t increase the age minimal to purchase assault-style rifles. He stated he believes such a transfer could be “unconstitutional” below current courtroom rulings.

“We wish to finish faculty shootings, however we can not do this by making false guarantees,” Abbott stated.

Abbott additionally stated he opposed “crimson flag” legal guidelines, saying that these legal guidelines “would deny lawful Texas gun homeowners their proper to due course of.”

O’Rourke, in the meantime, didn’t again away from feedback that he made as a 2020 presidential candidate, within the wake of the racially motivated mass capturing at an El Paso Walmart in 2019, that he would search to confiscate assault-style rifles corresponding to AR-15s and AK-47s. However he stated as governor, he could be “centered on what we are able to get completed.”

He stated that would come with elevating the age minimal to buy such firearms to 21, implementing common background checks and enacting “crimson flag” legal guidelines.

“That is the frequent floor,” he stated, citing conversations with Republican and Democratic voters, in addition to households of these slain in Uvalde.

Friday night time’s showdown was the one scheduled debate between Abbott, the Republican in search of a 3rd time period as governor, and O’Rourke, the Democratic former El Paso congressman whose near-miss in a 2018 race towards Sen. Ted Cruz electrified Texas Democrats.

Democrats haven’t gained a gubernatorial race in Texas since Ann Richards was elected governor in 1990. The occasion additionally hasn’t gained a statewide race within the Lone Star State since 1994 — Democrats’ longest statewide dropping streak within the nation.

Abbott, who’s considered as a possible 2024 presidential contender, has constantly led within the polls. A Quinnipiac College survey performed September 22-26 discovered the governor with a 7-point edge over O’Rourke amongst seemingly voters, 53% to 46%.

The newest marketing campaign finance reviews in mid-July confirmed O’Rourke maintaining tempo with Abbott’s fundraising, however the incumbent maintained a major cash-on-hand edge with $46 million within the financial institution to his challenger’s $24 million.

On the marketing campaign path, O’Rourke has criticized Abbott’s opposition to abortion rights – the governor signed a so-called set off legislation final yr that went into impact in August and bans practically all abortions within the state following the US Supreme Courtroom’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. The Democrat has additionally criticized the Abbott administration’s administration of the facility grid throughout final yr’s winter freeze and the governor’s rejection of gun restrictions within the wake of the Uvalde faculty capturing.

O’Rourke famously confronted Abbott and different officers at a information convention in Uvalde the day after the capturing, saying, “The time to cease the subsequent capturing is correct now and you might be doing nothing.”

Abbott, in the meantime, has campaigned on robust border safety insurance policies, together with busing migrants out of state to Democratic-run cities up North to protest the Biden administration’s immigration insurance policies. He has additionally accused O’Rourke of in search of to undercut police funding, saying in an advert that O’Rourke needs to “defund and dismantle the police.” It was a reference to O’Rourke’s feedback in 2020, within the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, praising protesters for concentrating on “line objects which have over militarized our police.” O’Rourke has stated he doesn’t assist reducing funding for police in Texas.

“Look, I don’t assume Greg Abbott wakes up eager to see youngsters shot of their colleges or for the grid to fail, however it’s clear that he’s incapable or unwilling to make the adjustments essential to prioritize the lives of our fellow Texans. That’s why it’s on all of us to make change on the poll field,” O’Rourke stated in his closing remarks.

In his closing, Abbott stated: “I’m working for reelection to maintain Texas No. 1 — to chop your property taxes, to safe the border, to maintain harmful criminals behind bars, and to maintain lethal fentanyl off our streets.”

The 2 additionally sharply diverged on abortion rights, a problem that has moved to the middle of the gubernatorial race after the Supreme Courtroom overturned Roe v. Wade and Abbott signed into legislation a measure that restricts abortion besides to save lots of the lifetime of the mom and in sure well being emergencies.

O’Rourke stated he would search to return Texas to the abortion protections that existed below Roe v. Wade.

“This election is about reproductive freedom. For those who care about this, you should end up and vote,” O’Rourke stated. “I’ll struggle to ensure that each girl in Texas could make her personal determination about her personal physique, her personal future, and her personal well being care.”

Abbott stated O’Rourke’s place on abortion is “probably the most excessive,” casting O’Rourke as supporting the proper to abortions up till start.

“Nobody thinks that within the state of Texas,” O’Rourke shot again. “He’s saying this as a result of he signed probably the most excessive abortion ban in America: No exception for rape, no exception for incest, it begins at conception, and it’s going down in a state that’s on the epicenter of a maternal mortality disaster, due to Greg Abbott — thrice as lethal for Black ladies.”

Abbott was requested whether or not emergency contraception is a viable various for victims of rape and incest.

“It’s incumbent upon the state of Texas to ensure that it’s available,” he stated. “For individuals who are victims of sexual assault or survivors of sexual assault, the state of Texas pays for that, whether or not or not it’s at a hospital, at a clinic, or somebody that will get a prescription due to it.”

He additionally touted the state’s “various to abortion program,” together with dwelling help and child provides, for these victims.

Abbott touted reforms to the facility grid after the deep freeze, pointing to document excessive temperatures this summer time.

“Repeatedly, the facility grid was in a position to sustain, and it’s due to the reforms that we had been in a position to make. The ability grid stays extra resilient … than ever earlier than,” he stated.

However O’Rourke stated the facility failure was “a part of a sample” throughout Abbott’s nearly eight years in workplace, and that the governor had been warned concerning the risk.

“The grid continues to be not mounted,” O’Rourke stated, pointing to greater power payments, Toyota stopping its third shift in San Antonio “as a result of it was drawing an excessive amount of energy,” and Texas residents receiving conservation notices over the summer time.

“All Beto does is fear-monger on this problem, when in actuality, the grid is extra resilient and extra dependable than it’s ever been,” Abbott responded.