Abbott tells crowd at East Texas dinner that Republicans will win in November
Published 5:25 am Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Gov. Greg Abbott told a large crowd of East Texans on Monday that Republicans will win November elections, but GOP voters have to show up to the polls.
“Republicans are going to win this November because I know what Texans want,” Abbott said at Longview’s Pinecrest County Club. “They want safe communities and secure borders, and only Republicans can deliver on those policies.”
Abbott was the keynote speaker during the Gregg County Republican Party’s inaugural Lincoln-Reagan Dinner, a common fundraising event among county Republican chapters. Abbott was joined by a host of Republican candidates for local and state offices, including attorney general nominee Mayes Middleton, agriculture commissioner nominee Nate Sheets and area lawmakers.
Abbott’s speech comes one month before early voting begins in the midterm elections, and polls show that deep-red seats across the nation could be close contests. That’s especially true for Texas’ U.S. Senate race between Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Rep. James Talarico.
Abbott honed in on his own race against state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, an Austin Democrat. He spent much of his speech contrasting the values of people in East Texas and those in Austin, namely Hinojosa.
“This whole election is one where you see a vast difference of common sense versus crazy,” he said.
Email newsletter signup
Hinojosa has voiced support for a state income tax, which Abbott said would “destroy our economy overnight.” He also said she supports an inheritance tax and higher property taxes.
“We are not going to let that happen because we are going to unite, and we are going to win,” Abbott said. “We’re going to keep your taxes low and keep Texas a No. 1 economy in the United States.”
Abbott derided Hinojosa’s record on border security, election integrity and public safety, saying she has voted against protecting those conservative concepts.
Data centers also were a focus of his speech, and Abbott reiterated his previous statements that the state will not allow data centers to upend rural living or strain water and electrical systems. He pointed to his requirements for data centers to provide their own electricity, among other rules. There can be “no threat to any water source” that would exist around the data center.
“They’re gonna be heavily regulated and make sure they stay out of your neighborhoods and out of your homes and not take your water, not drive up the cost of electricity,” he said.
Abbott highlighted Texas’ economic growth during his tenure. In that time, Texas has grown to become the world’s eighth-largest economy, bypassing Russia and other nations.
“That makes me more powerful than Putin,” he said.
Abbott also urged the audience to pay attention to foreign adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran and pointed to Texas laws that have been implemented to keep those nations from buying land in the Lone Star State.
Not all of Monday’s talk was serious. Abbott grew up in Longview and spent part of the evening talking about his childhood “firsts” here, including his first football game and first girlfriend, whom he jokingly declined to name.
“In the springtime, when you see the azaleas bloom, there’s not a prettier place on Earth than Longview, Texas,” he said.
Abbott began his speech by telling the audience how he has embraced an insult Democratic U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett hurled at him earlier this year: “Governor Hot Wheels.” He has since used that term on campaign merchandise and official social media pages — and to fundraise against Democrats.
Also at Monday’s event, county Republican officials recognized Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt and Dr. Julia Van Burkleo for their contributions to the community. Stoudt has served as Gregg County judge for more than 20 years, and Van Burkleo was the first female doctor to practice in Longview, beginning in 1961.
