In lone Texas Gubernatorial Debate, Abbott and O'Rourke Clash Over Gun Restrictions

In a debate on Friday night, Democratic contender Beto O'Rourke and Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott sparred over gun control measures. O'Rourke charged Abbott with misleading this state and placing the blame for mass shootings on everyone else. O'Rourke said during their debate at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg, It's been 18 weeks since their kids were killed, and nothing has changed in this state to make it any less likely than any other child will meet the same destiny. All we need is action. The Texas state government is the only one standing in our way." A video of a little child in Uvalde asking why Texas won't raise the minimum age to purchase assault-style firearms was shown to Abbott. He asserted that, in light of recent court decisions, he feels such a move would be unconstitutional.  Abbott added that the red flag legislation would deny legitimate Texas gun owners access to due process. In contrast, O'Rourke stuck to his remarks that he would try to seize assault-style firearms like AR-15s and AK-47s as a 2020 presidential contender in the wake of the racially motivated mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart in 2019. However, he claimed that as governor, he would be "focused on what we can achieve." He stated that would entail adopting universal background checks, passing "red flag" regulations, and raising the minimum age to acquire such firearms to 21. In talks with Republican and Democratic voters and the families of those killed in Uvalde, he claimed, "This is the common ground." The only scheduled debate between Abbott, a Republican running for a third term as governor, and O'Rourke, a Democrat running for governor after narrowly losing to Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018, energized Texas Democrats, took place on Friday night. Since Ann Richards was elected governor of Texas in 1990, Democrats have not prevailed in a gubernatorial contest. Democrats have continuously lost statewide elections in the Lone Star State since 1994, the longest losing streak in the nation.