This Election Day, Nov. 8, voters will determine who will function Texas’ governor for the subsequent 4 years.

Greg Abbott is working for a 3rd time period, whereas his challengers are vying to flip a place that has been held by Republicans since 1995.

These working for Texas’ prime spot additionally embrace Democrat Beto O’Rourke, who’s making a 3rd run for workplace in as many election cycles, Libertarian Mark Tippetts, and Delilah Barrios for the Inexperienced Get together.

Polls have persistently proven Abbott with a lead heading into election day.

Right here’s a more in-depth take a look at the candidates and the place they stand on some scorching button points.

Texas Governor Candidates

Greg Abbott, Republican (Incumbent)

Incumbent Greg Abbott is at the moment serving his second time period as governor after first being elected to the place in 2014.

Abbott graduated from the College of Texas at Austin after which earned a legislation diploma from Vanderbilt College Regulation College. Earlier than being elected governor, Abbott additionally served as Lawyer Normal of Texas, a Texas Supreme Courtroom justice and a state district choose in Harris County.

In keeping with Abbott’s marketing campaign web site, he goals to maintain Texas “protected and safe, encourages higher job development, reins in skyrocketing property taxes, elevates our training system, takes care of our veterans, and reforms authorities to unleash the total potential of our nice state.”

Gov. Greg Abbott heads to the border for election evening, with immigration a prime challenge for Texans

His platform additionally requires “defending the 2nd Modification.” As governor, Abbott has loosened firearms restrictions. Simply final 12 months, he signed “open carry” into legislation which supplies most individuals in Texas aged 21 and older the choice to hold a handgun in most public locations and not using a allow.

Within the wake of the Uvalde Elementary College mass taking pictures in Might, some victims’ households have demanded the governor increase the minimal age to buy an AR-15-style rifle just like the one used within the taking pictures from 18 to 21 years previous. 

Throughout a gubernatorial debate in September, Abbott stated his fingers are tied on the subject of altering the legislation on so-called assault weapons.

“It’s unconstitutional for a state to boost the age from 18 to 21 for an individual to purchase an AR-15,” stated Abbott.

In keeping with his marketing campaign web site, Abbott pledges to “proceed to battle any federal authorities overreach” on the subject of gun rights.

Abbott’s platform additionally requires “defending the unborn” – with abortion on voters’ minds this 12 months following the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the following ban in Texas.

Gov. Greg Abbott says he might cease busing migrants if Republicans take Congress

In July 2021, Abbott signed the so-called “set off legislation” which might ban all abortions from the second of fertilization if the Supreme Courtroom dominated to overturn Roe v. Wade, which occurred this summer season. The legislation makes an exception solely to avoid wasting the lifetime of a pregnant affected person or stop “substantial impairment of main bodily operate,” however makes no exceptions for circumstances of rape, incest, or extreme fetal abnormalities.

Through the debate in September, Abbott spotlighted his actions taken on the Texas border. Abbott boasted a few $4 billion operation that has included migrant jails and buses to New York, Chicago and Washington and criticized President Joe Biden by title.

He didn’t say the place Texas would subsequent ship buses which have refocused the race on immigration however defended the locations to a number of the nation’s largest Democratic-led cities as sensible and never political.

Click on right here to learn extra of Greg Abbott’s marketing campaign priorities.

HOUSTON, TX – MAY 27: Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke speaks to a crowd supporting gun management at Discovery Inexperienced throughout from the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation Annual Assembly on the George R. Brown Conference Heart, on Might 27, 20

Advertisement

Beto O’Rourke, Democrat

Beto O’Rourke is a former El Paso congressman and presidential candidate. He was elected to the U.S. Home of Representatives in 2012 and served six years.

In 2018, he ran for U.S. Senate however misplaced to incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz by lower than 3 share factors.

O’Rourke then entered the presidential race in 2019 however dropped out eight months later. Now-President Joe Biden finally received the Democratic Get together nomination.

In keeping with his marketing campaign web site, O’Rourke has plans to “totally fund public faculties,” broaden Medicaid, decrease property taxes, create high-paying jobs and legalize marijuana whereas expunging the data of these arrested for marijuana possession.

Beto O’Rourke will get help from Barack Obama forward of Election Day

Through the debate in September, O’Rourke pledged tighter gun legal guidelines and accused Abbott of doing little to cease one other Uvalde-style faculty bloodbath.

“It has 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 another little one will meet the identical destiny,” stated O’Rourke.

In keeping with O’Rourke’s marketing campaign web site, he’s “pleased with Texas’ lengthy custom of accountable gun possession” however needs to alter “how simple it’s for folks to make use of firearms irresponsibly” in Texas.

“And whereas it may not be the simple or politically protected factor to say, I don’t consider any civilian ought to personal an AR-15 or AK-47,” his marketing campaign web site states.

He additionally requires different “commonsense options that the majority Texans agree on” like closing the personal sale background examine loophole, an efficient purple flag legislation system, protected storage and little one entry prevention legal guidelines, and stronger home violence reporting legal guidelines, based on his marketing campaign web site.

Beto O’Rourke discusses weapons, abortion and Pres. Biden not doing sufficient concerning the border

On the hot-button challenge of reproductive alternative, O’Rourke pledged in the course of the debate to revive it. His marketing campaign web site states he’ll use “each software out there to repeal Abbott’s harmful abortion ban” and vows to veto “any future laws that seeks to additional management girls,” like limiting entry to contraception.

Through the debate, O’Rourke referred to as the billions of state {dollars} spent on border safety wasteful. 

“What we’d like is a protected, authorized, orderly path for anybody who needs to come back right here to work, to affix household, or to hunt asylum,” stated O’Rourke.

Click on right here to learn extra of Beto O’Rourke’s marketing campaign priorities.

Source: Mark Tippetts Marketing campaign

Mike Tippetts, Libertarian

In keeping with his marketing campaign web site, Mark Tippetts is a world authorized and enterprise marketing consultant for individuals who personal property or do enterprise in Mexico and Latin America. He served as a council member in Lago Vista, Texas, in 2017.

Tippetts helps faculty alternative, legalizing marijuana and advocates for “the discount of taxation to the bottom possible degree.”

On his web site, Tippetts additionally requires the enacting of a “good complete immigration coverage, making it simpler for sincere, hardworking folks to come back work and reside right here legally.”

Tippetts additionally opposes mandates and says companies, church buildings and different organizations ought to be capable to set their very own well being and security polices, whereas folks have the selection on the place to do enterprise.

Click on right here to learn extra of Mark Tippetts marketing campaign priorities.

Delilah Barrios, Inexperienced Get together

In keeping with her platform, healthcare is Delilah Barrios’s prime concern. She says will probably be her “precedence to do no matter it takes to make sure medical care to each citizen of our nice state.”

Barrios additionally requires a increase within the minimal wage to $20/hr and a fundamental earnings assure.

“What I consider is that when you can’t work, and occur to be on incapacity for instance it is best to find the money for to help your self,” her marketing campaign web site states. “Ideally we’ll provide supplemental earnings to folks to assist them with obligatory bills to incorporate: shelter, meals, water, web, and transportation.”

Barrios additionally views abortion as medical care and says “any makes an attempt to discourage, discriminate or stop entry to obligatory care will probably be penalized,” based on her marketing campaign web site.

Click on right here to learn extra of Delilah Barrios’s marketing campaign priorities.

The Related Press contributed to this report.