Beto O'Rourke

During the 60-minute event, the candidates stuck to the talking points that have so far dominated this election season. Abbott painted O’Rourke as a Biden clone on immigration, while the Democratic challenger said Abbott’s stances on guns and abortion aren’t a fit for Texas.

The debate from the Rio Grande Valley took place as O’Rourke continues to trail in the polls.

Friday’s debate will allow both candidates to speak to a broader audience from Edinburg, a city of about 100,000 located just 20 miles from the Mexico border. It’s hard to ignore this is the only debate the Republican incumbent has agreed to.

In the aftermath of the Uvalde shooting, families of victims asked Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session. They wanted him to direct the Texas Legislature to increase the minimum age limit for purchasing a semi-automatic weapon to 21. But Abbott refused.

The survey, conducted by the Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas at Tyler, also shows most Texans are concerned about gun violence, but reflects Gov. Abbott’s lead over Beto O’Rourke is widening.

According to a new Texas Politics Project poll, Republicans overwhelmingly support Gov. Greg Abbott’s busing policy, while most Democrats are against it. Abbott, a Republican running for a third term, continues to lead Democrat Beto O’Rourke.

The Democrat also announced Thursday that he has accepted invitations to four townhall-style debates while Gov. Greg Abbott agreed to only one debate.

Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke said he will rest from home after being diagnosed with a bacterial infection. He's now holding virtual campaign events instead.

During a stop in Houston, O’Rourke slammed the governor for creating “chaos” within the state and urged Texans to participate in the upcoming November election.

The Texas gubernatorial candidate was speaking at a campaign rally in Mineral Wells when someone in the crowd laughed as he talked about the May 24 massacre at Robb Elementary School.