A day after Gov. Greg Abbott lost the vote in South Texas, he skipped out on a news conference held by a political action committee that helped raise $64 million for his campaign this year alone.
The event was publicized in an email the Texans for Greg Abbott PAC sent Tuesday night alluding to a press conference, but the email did not specify whether Abbott would make an appearance.
The governor was in McAllen Tuesday night, however, celebrating his victory against his Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke.
“We started this campaign in South Texas. We celebrated my primary victory in South Texas. Tonight, we return to South Texas to celebrate my reelection for being your governor for four more years,” Abbott said in McAllen on Tuesday.
“We planted our flag in South Texas,” Abbott continued, “and we showed America that South Texas is now electing Republicans to office in our great state.”
The numbers did not add up.
Despite hosting his only debate in Hidalgo County, voters there and throughout Starr, Cameron, and Willacy counties chose Abbott’s Democratic challenger.
Fifty-four percent of Cameron County voters favored O’Rourke; in Hidalgo County it was 58%; in Starr County it amounted to 57%; and in Willacy County it was 55%.
Texans for Greg Abbott held a press conference Wednesday morning touting their success.
While Abbott did not win the RGV, there were some improvements compared to his last election in 2018.
In Cameron (+1%), Hidalgo (+3%), and Starr (+9%) counties, Abbott’s margins widened by a few points. In Willacy County, his support decreased by three points.
“I think the margins down here for the governor, and the effort that we spent together — I think the governor has done 97 events in Southern Texas, and I think those are in-person events — I think it really helps to mobilize voters in the vast majority of these counties at the local level,” one of his supporters with Texans for Greg Abbott said.
The party still fell short of its goals and acknowledged the efforts it will need to continue making in South Texas.
“This isn’t just a one and done thing,” one of the representatives said. “We have a lot of work to do, to continue to build a bench for candidates and to build the party infrastructure down in southern Texas, and we plan to do that.”
Residents in Hidalgo County who are a part of La Union del Pueblo Entero, a nonprofit organization focusing on voicing concerns of low-income families, held its own press conference.
“It doesn’t matter what party it is, we’re always going to fight for more for our families,” Dani Marrero Hi, communications director for LUPE, said.
Members of the organization committed themselves to continue raising issues like low wages, high uninsured rates, immigration reform, and fair labor practices with local, state and federal elected officials.
LUPE’s press conference ended with an invitation to all reelected and newly elected officials to visit their constituents and learn about the needs that continue to affect them.
They also pledged to stay vigilant and keep officials accountable. “El pueblo los pone, y el pueblo los quita también,” Marrero Hi said.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to clarify the Starr County vote margin for Abbott.
