PORT ARTHUR, Texas — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke emphasized the need for Texans to look beyond party lines and come together to tackle key issues.
O’Rourke made a stop in Port Arthur on Monday for a town hall. The event was held at the Museum of the Gulf Coast.
Both O’Rourke and Gov. Greg Abbott have devoted time and attention to voters in the Golden Triangle. Monday was the second time the Democratic candidate visited Southeast Texas.
O’Rourke started off the town hall by acknowledging that he is currently the underdog in the race for Texas governor. However, he said his hope was renewed by a recent poll that showed he was just two percentage points behind Gov. Abbott.
The gubernatorial candidate believes the poll proves there are Texas voters willing to look beyond party lines and focus on key issues. He is focused on garnering support for the upcoming November elections.
While in Port Arthur, O’Rourke emphasized his stance on three topics; backing public education, increasing jobs and expanding Medicaid for Texans.
“This message, that is not just for Democrats, but is for all of us, about jobs, about great schools, about making sure we expand Medicaid so more folks can see a doctor, this is resonating across the state.” O’Rourke said.
During the event, O’Rourke repeatedly stated that Texas is more divided now than ever.
"There are more than 7 million of our fellow Texans who were eligible to cast a ballot in the 2020 elections and did not vote, 7 million,” O’Rourke said. “We need the people to knock on their doors and invite them into this democracy."
O’Rourke discussed key topics including legalizing marijuana in the state and raising wages to retain teachers a public schools. He reinforced the need to invest in public education in order to better prepare the youth to succeed.
The Democratic candidate said he is focused on lowering inflation by reducing Texan’s utility bills.
“I'm going to reduce our utility bills which have gone up higher than at any other time in Texas history under Greg Abbott," O'Rourke said. "We should be returning money back to the ratepayers instead of asking them to pay more”
Concerning inflation, the Democratic candidate said he is also wants to lower property taxes. O’Rourke said he plans on drawing $10 billion annually from the federal government to reduce property taxes and make Medicaid more available and affordable.
“We can rewrite our property tax bills so that more of the burden fairly falls on these corporations, and it lightens the load for those of us who own our own home or rent our homes,” O’Rourke said.
O'Rourke also said he wants to work to expunge minor offenses, like marijuana possession, from people's criminal records to make it easier for them to go to school or get a job.
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