Gov. Greg Abbott told a crowd of Republicans in Abilene on Monday that "far left, progressive Democrats" are turning out in large numbers in cities like Austin. Abbott, in a race against Democrat Gina Hinojosa that he described as tight, asked supporters to vote and to bring friends and family. Abilene was the first of three stops that day, which also included a rally with Attorney General Ken Paxton in Wichita Falls.
The story says Republicans are campaigning in deep-red parts of Texas to offset strong early voting in Harris, Dallas and Travis counties. President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Lubbock on Tuesday, and Vice President JD Vance will be in Weatherford on Thursday. Abbott said turnout in those areas is "absolutely essential" for Republicans to keep their three-decade streak in statewide races.
Rural counties have seen turnout of about 21% of registered voters, according to an analysis by Republican consultant Derek Ryan. The five largest counties have outpaced that by 3 percentage points. By Monday, the state had logged 115,499 more ballots from voters who had only previously voted in Democratic primaries than from those who had only voted in Republican primaries.