Gov. Greg Abbott was scheduled to make a campaign stop in Midland on Thursday as part of his "Roll Out: Get Out the Vote" tour. A last-minute change kept him from attending in person. Supporters packed Michael's Charcoal Grill, but the crowd thinned after they learned Abbott could not attend due to issues with his aircraft. He addressed the crowd briefly by phone and discussed early voting.
Abbott said his Democratic opponent, Gina Hinojosa, would harm the state's energy sector. He said she wanted to create an Office of Environmental Justice that would crack down on oil and gas production.
State Sen. Kevin Sparks, state Rep. Tom Craddick and state Rep. Brooks Landgraf attended. Sparks said that as of the previous evening, 23% of registered voters in Midland County had voted early, and 16% in both Ector and Potter counties. Craddick said he expects many Republicans to vote on Election Day, noting that more people voted in person on Election Day than by absentee ballot in the last couple of elections.
Howard County Republican Chair Teresa Griffin said supporters would keep backing the governor. Abbott plans to campaign in Amarillo and Lubbock on Friday and said he will return to Michael's Charcoal Grill on Sunday to make up for the missed stop.