COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Democratic candidate for Texas Governor, Beto O'Rourke, stopped by College Station Tuesday to talk with voters. It's all part of his statewide People of Texas campaign. He said he's got a lot of reasons to run again.
"We're showing up because every person here, Republican, Democrat, Independent alike, is important to us," O'Rourke said. "Especially these young people, who are willing to knock on doors, make phone calls and reach out to voters. That's how we're going to win this election."
The former United States Congressman hosted a town hall at West Church Market, just across the street from Texas A&M University. The crowd showed a wide variety of people from different ages and backgrounds.
Sedrick Gilbert is a Bryan resident and supporter of Mr. O'Rourke. Gilbert said he supports O'Rourke because of what the candidate stands for and he wants to see a change come to Texas.
"When you hear Beto O'Rourke you believe," Gilbert said. "You believe in the betterment of humankind. You want to get involved and be the change that you want to see."
Despite his loss to Senator Ted Cruz a few years ago, O'Rourke said he's confident that together, Texas can accomplish amazing things.
"We got so close in 2018, in large part because of students like these here in College Station, young voter turnout was up 500%," O'Rourke said. "We're gonna build on that base and reach out not just to Democrats, but Republicans and Independents as well. And at a time that we're already too divided to bring people together around the big issues."
Those big issues include the power grid, jobs, education, gun violence, and women's reproductive rights.
JOBS
"4 out of 10 working Texans don't make a living wage."
"I don't know the Republican that will argue the point or the Democrat that will turn there back. We want to make sure that once you graduate or anyone else can compete for and win the jobs of the future."
EDUCATION
"In a fourth-grade classroom in the state of Texas right now, 7 out of 10 kids can't read at grade level. If you are not able to read at grade level in fourth grade, it's a pretty awfully precise predictor of your ability to graduate in high school, to attend Texas A&M, to work one of those living wage jobs."
"So what if we had universal all-day Pre-K for every child in Texas."
GUN VIOLENCE
"This Governor has also turned his back on the members of law enforcement. Police officers, sheriffs deputies, more of them are gunned down in this state than in any other state in the union. That's why they begged him Governor Abbott please do not sign this bill that will allow any Texan to carry a firearm loaded in public without a background check, without any vetting, without any training what's so ever."
WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
"He (Governor Greg Abbott) is stopping any woman from making her own reproductive healthcare decisions, about their own body, about their own health... He is putting a $10,000 bounty on the back of any person who assists and women doing that."