Abbott officially launches reelection campaign in McAllen

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott officially announced his reelection campaign before a crowd of about 200 people here on Saturday afternoon. The announcement came during the Hispanic Leadership Summit and kicked off the first of some 60 campaign stops Abbott has planned around the state in the lead up to the March 1 Republican Primary. Abbott, who, by his own admission, has made more trips to the Rio Grande Valley than any governor before him, chose to make his announcement in McAllen for a reason — because of how the region so neatly dovetails with many of his campaign priorities. Between its booming economy, its rapid pace of residential and commercial development, its attractiveness to big tech firms like SpaceX, and its proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border, the Valley has become a microcosm for Texas politics writ large.

And it was something Abbott focused on as he laid out his campaign platform while speaking at the McAllen Convention Center. That platform prioritizes economic growth, individual liberties, border security and support for law enforcement, and — perhaps most importantly — keeping Texas from making a “left turn” toward “the woke radical agenda.” “We cannot let big government liberals redesign our state with the progressive agenda that is destroying some parts of America,” Abbott said to a fired up crowd where few wore face masks. “We need a proven winner who will fight to secure the future of Texas. That is why today I am in the Rio Grande Valley to officially announce my reelection to run as your governor of the great state of Texas,” Abbott said to a round of raucous applause. The governor began his campaign speech by hitting upon several traditional Republican political talking points, including promises to lower property and franchise taxes, and continuing to foster a business-friendly environment. But beyond that, Abbott soon began to winnow in on some more salient conservative priorities — supporting law enforcement, securing the border and safeguarding individual liberties when it comes to decisions over health, education and the Second Amendment.