Tarrant County and Texas go for Greg Abbott over Beto O’Rourke in race for governor

Tarrant County’s pick for Texas governor was a bellwether for the rest of the state but not in the way Democrats had hoped.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott won his statewide bid, securing his third term in his race against Democrat Beto O’Rourke. The Associated Press called the race for Abbott just before 10 p.m. Tuesday. With all polling places reporting, Abbott a Republican, led with 55% of the votes to O’Rourke’s 44%, unofficial results from the state show.

Abbott also defeated O’Rourke locally in Tarrant County, with about 51% of votes to his Democratic opponent’s 47%, unofficial results show.

The county has long been the largest remaining red urban county in Texas, but has gone for President Joe Biden and O’Rourke in recent election years. That purple-trend appeared broken Tuesday as the final votes were tallied.

Both candidates spent a significant amount of time in Tarrant County in the months leading up to Election Day, in hopes of swinging voters in their favor. Tuesday’s votes indicate Abbott’s focus on economy, border security and policing were winning positions with voters locally and across Texas.

“Tonight, Texans sent a very resounding message: They want to keep Texas the beacon of opportunity that we’ve provided over the past eight years,” Abbott told attendees of a McAllen watch party. “A Texas where working families can flourish. A Texas where students can be prepared and inspired for college or for a career. A Texas that supports our law enforcement officers and our military. A Texas where we safeguard our fundamental freedoms. A Texas where everybody has a path to prosperity.”

In Fort Worth, voters celebrated the governor’s victory during an Election Night watch party held by the Tarrant County GOP.

“Thank God,” chimed BK Johnson and Cheryl Bean.

“The alternative would have been horrible, and we think Abbott has done a good job,” Bean said.

Gloria Bermejo Sanchez, who volunteered with Abbott’s campaign and serves as a precinct chair, also offered praises.

“He’s doing a wonderful job for the Texas residents,” she said. “Pro-life, which I’m so much supportive of. His infrastructures. Everything that he’s done so far for the state of Texas. There’s no way that Robert O’Rourke could ever come close to accomplishing anything like that.”

Tarrant County GOP Chair Rick Barnes was “beyond happy” with the outcome in the race.

“We knew that if his opponent won, the state changes dramatically and not for the better,” Barnes said. “We know that Abbott will at least maintain where we are if not grow it even better.”

O’Rourke has highlighted Texas’ gun and abortion laws that he calls too extreme, among other policies, while on the campaign trail. The election comes just months after the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

Earlier in the day, O’Rourke was optimistic of his chances in Tarrant County, but as the night grew later, it became clear that Abbott was the likely winner.

“The voters in Tarrant County after eight years of failure from Greg Abbott are voting for change,” O’Rourke said during a Tuesday Dallas visit, later adding, “We’re betting big on Tarrant County, on Dallas County and North Texas in this election.”

He drew an energetic crowd before heading to a polling place at Fretz Park Library. O’Rourke later traveled to Houston then El Paso, his hometown, where he’s hosting an election night watch party. He was in San Antonio earlier in the day.

Most cheered for O’Rourke as he spoke in Dallas, but some jeers broke through. The scene was tense at times, with law enforcement monitoring the area. One person chanted “loser” on the outskirts of the crowd as people gathered for photos. Another called out questions to O’Rourke about why he wanted to “transition kids.”

At the El Paso event, O’Rourke thanked his family, supporters and campaign team and acknowledged the uphill climb that was ahead when he announced his bid.

“Everything we could possibly give to this, we gave to this,” O’Rourke said. “And I don’t mean the candidate, and I don’t mean the staff, I mean every single person who was a part of this campaign.”

In Fort Worth, Democrats at a watch party remained hopeful early in the night. They gathered at the Turkey Den, signs for Beto and other candidates paced on tables and chairs fashioned with balloons in shades of blue.

“If he’s not successful, we’ve still made incredible progress,” said Tarrant County Democratic Party Chair Allison Campolo. “We’ve continued to talk to more voters, to turn out more voters, to register more voters, to engage more people than we have before.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.