Just One Name: Governor Greg Abbott takes Texas politics to national stage

Aug 08, 2021 at 11:08 AM CDT

Shannon Longworth

Greg Abbott

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Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s conservative views are back in the spotlight now that President Joe Biden has condemned his state ban on mask mandates. Abbott has taken firm stances in his gubernatorial career, and he’s marked 2021 with his approach to managing the pandemic, push for voting legislation and erection of the border wall.

Shannon Longworth

Shannon Longworth was an investigative reporter and anchor for Straight Arrow News from 2021 to 2023. She started her career on California’s central coast, then made her way back home working in the sprawling suburbs of New York City

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BETWEEN THE BORDER CRISIS, SOARING COVID CASES, AND NEW VOTING LEGISLATION–

FOR ABOUT 29 MILLION PEOPLE?

TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT HAS A WHOLE LOT TO MANAGE THESE DAYS.

HE’S ONE OF THE MOST HIGH-PROFILE POLITICIANS IN THE COUNTRY, MAKING HIM JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY.

HE’S BEEN IN OFFICE SINCE 2014 AND HE’S A REPUBLICAN–THE TRUMP-FRIENDLY KIND.

IN FACT, HE’S TAKEN OVER ONE OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT’S PROJECTS: THE BORDER WALl…REALLOCATING 250 MILLION DOLLARS IN STATE FUNDING TOWARD ITS CONSTRUCTION.

GREG ABBOTT: OUR MESSAGE TO THE COUNTRY IS THAT EVEN THOUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MAY HAVE ABANDONED THEIR RESPONSIBILITY, WE ARE NOT GOING TO ABANDON OUR RESPONSIBILITY.

AND WHEN IT COMES TO CURRENT PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, THE PANDEMIC IS JUST THE LATEST POINT OF CONTENTION FOR THOSE TWO.

ABBOTT ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER

BANNING MASK MANDATES IN TEXAS.

HE SAYS TEXANS ALREADY KNOW WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO STOP THE SPREAD…

GET THE VACCINE.

TO WHICH BIDEN SAID:

JOE BIDEN: I SAY TO THESE GOVERNORS: PLEASE HELP, BUT YOU AREN’T GOING TO HELP AT LEAST GET OUT OF THE WAY.

THE OTHER GOVERNOR HE’S TALKING ABOUT IS REPUBLICAN RON DESANTIS IN FLORIDA.

NOW, REMEMBER WHEN TEXAS HOUSE DEMOCRATS FLED TO DC?

THAT WAS IN REACTION TO ABBOT CALLING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO VOTE ON HIS BILL, WHICH HE SAYS IT’S MEANT TO ENHANCE ELECTION INTEGRITY.

DEMOCRATS SAY IT RESTRICTS VOTING RIGHTS.

A CLASSIC BATTLE WE’RE SEEING NATIONWIDE.

REPUBLICANS HAVE THE MAJORITY IN THE TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SO THE EXPECTATION WAS THE BILL WOULD PASS.

BUT WHEN DEMS LEFT THE STATE, THEY POSTPONED THE VOTE.

ABBOTT’S CONSERVATIVE STANCE ON THESE ISSUES–AND MORE–COULD HAND HIM THE GOVERNORSHIP ONCE AGAIN IN 2022.

HE’S ALREADY ANNOUNCED HE’LL BE RUNNING FOR REELECTION

AND WHEN IT COMES TO EVEN HIGHER OFFICE… HE’S INDICATED HE COULD BE OPEN TO A PRESIDENTIAL RUN AFTER THAT.

SO THAT’S GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT–JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY.

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