Election 2022: O’Rourke’s People of Texas Tour Arrives in San Antonio Friday
May 19, 2022 - Downtown
V for veterans. “Veterans devote their lives to serving all of us, and they should know that we’re going to do everything in our power to serve all of them,” wrote Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke on Facebook Wednesday. Photo: Facebook/Beto O’Rourke.
By Jade Esteban Estrada, Co-Editor | San Antonio Sentinel
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- Texas gubenatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke will make a campaign tour stop at VFW Post 76 on Friday
- O'Rourke will challenge incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott in November
On Friday, Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke will bring his People of Texas campaign to San Antonio. The event is one stop in a series of town halls focused on Texas veterans. The local gathering will take place at 6 p.m. Friday, May 20 at VFW Post 76 located at 10 10th Street.
“Veterans devote their lives to serving all of us, and they should know that we’re going to do everything in our power to serve all of them,” wrote O’Rourke on his Facebook page Wednesday.
O’Rourke, 49, won the Democratic nomination for governor in March. He is challenging incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott, who is seeking a third term.
Drawing on his lauded Congressional work on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, O’Rourke hopes to galvanize his supporters with a theme of “serving those who have served us.” The event, which is open to the public, will also be held in Houston, San Angelo, Abilene, Wichita Falls, and Killeen.
During his time on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, O’Rourke worked with both Republicans and Democrats in Congress to sign into law a proposal to expand access to health care for veterans. He also helped increase staffing at the El Paso VA by leading an effort to recruit and hire dozens of mental health care providers, reducing wait times for mental health appointments from 20 days in 2015 to five days in 2017, according to a spokesperson.
In the two months since he won the Democratic primary, he has held more than 40 events focused on jobs, public education, and health care.
“Each event has been focused on how the people of Texas can overcome the current divisions and unite around popular things that Texans want to accomplish together,” said a campaign spokesperson in an emailed statement.
The El Paso native served as a U.S representative for Texas’ 16th Congressional District from 2013 to 2019. In Bexar County, he may be best known for his 2018 bid for U.S. Senate and his candidacy for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination in 2020.
Traditionally, midterm elections experience lower voter turnout than presidential-year elections. However, Texas Rep. Ina Minjarez, who is running for Bexar County judge, believes O’Rourke’s publicity reach could win the attention of more voters this election cycle.
“Whatever people think of him, he’s a dynamic politician,” Minjarez told me in March. “He’s not afraid of work. He’s been [to San Antonio] several times. He’s going to bring out the Democrats.”
Election Day is November 8.
Jade Esteban Estrada is a co-editor for the San Antonio Sentinel where he covers public health and other citywide issues. jade@sasentinel.com | IG: @satxwriter