Although Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been in campaign mode ahead of his re-election victory on Tuesday, he made it clear to supporters that he has not lost his focus on the issues that are important to residents of his state.
After thanking voters for expressing their confidence in him at the ballot box, he pivoted to the challenges he plans to address in his third term.
“I ran for the farmers and ranchers down here on the border who pleaded for a more secure border in the state of Texas,” Abbott said. “And I ran for the thousands of Texans who came up to me and they said, ‘Governor, just keep Texas Texas.’”
He said that he drew inspiration and strength from each of his encounters with the men and women across his state who shared their concerns about the future of Texas and the United States.
“Now it’s time to go to work for all of those people as well as for all Texans,” he added. “And it starts by keeping Texas as the number one state for the best economy in America and the number one state for jobs.”
Thank you my fellow Texans.
I will work every day to earn the trust you have placed in me.
Together we will ensure Texas is exceptional.
God Bless Texas.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) November 9, 2022
While a number of midterm races across the nation were too close to call on Tuesday, Abbott’s defeat of Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke was decisive.
For his part, O’Rourke conceded defeat in a message of his own, leaving open the possibility that he will stage another campaign after a record of electoral losses in recent years.
“I don’t know what my role or yours will be going forward, but I’m in this fight for life,” he said.
Another easy victory for the incumbent GOP governor came in Florida, where Ron DeSantis dominated his campaign against Democratic rival Charlie Crist.
After racking up a 19-point lead over his opponent with 92% of the ballots counted, DeSantis described his win as a turning point for his state.
“The people have delivered their verdict: Freedom is here to stay,” he said. “Now, thanks to the overwhelming support of the people of Florida, we not only won this election; we have rewritten the political map.”
