fbpx
Wikipedia

Greg Abbott

October 14, 2023

This article is about the politician. For other people with the same name, see Greg Abbott (disambiguation).

Gregory Wayne Abbott (born November 13, 1957) is an American politician, attorney, and former jurist serving as the 48th governor of Texas since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 50th attorney general of Texas from 2002 to 2015 and as a member of the Texas Supreme Court from 1996 to 2001.

Greg Abbott
Abbott in 2015
48th Governor of Texas
Assumed office
January 20, 2015
LieutenantDan Patrick
Preceded byRick Perry
Chair of the Republican Governors Association
In office
November 21, 2019 – December 9, 2020
Preceded byPete Ricketts
Succeeded byDoug Ducey
50th Attorney General of Texas
In office
December 2, 2002 – January 5, 2015
GovernorRick Perry
Preceded byJohn Cornyn
Succeeded byKen Paxton
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas
In office
January 2, 1996 – June 6, 2001[1]
Appointed byGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byJack Hightower
Succeeded byXavier Rodriguez
Personal details
Born
Gregory Wayne Abbott

(1957-11-13) November 13, 1957 (age 65)
Wichita Falls, Texas, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
​
(m. 1981)​
Children1
ResidenceGovernor's Mansion
EducationUniversity of Texas at Austin (BBA)
Vanderbilt University (JD)
Signature
WebsiteGovernment website

Abbott was the third Republican to serve as attorney general of Texas since the Reconstruction era. He was elected to that office with 57% of the vote in 2002 and reelected with 60% in 2006 and 64% in 2010, becoming the longest-serving Texas attorney general in state history, with 12 years of service. Before becoming attorney general, Abbott was a justice of the Texas Supreme Court, a position to which he was appointed in 1995 by then-governor George W. Bush. Abbott won a full term in 1998 with 60% of the vote. As attorney general, he successfully advocated for the Texas State Capitol to display the Ten Commandments in the 2005 U.S. Supreme Court case Van Orden v. Perry, and unsuccessfully defended the state's ban on same-sex marriage. He was involved in numerous lawsuits against the Barack Obama administration, seeking to invalidate the Affordable Care Act and the administration's environmental regulations.

Elected in 2014, Abbott is the first Texas governor and third governor of a U.S. state to use a wheelchair, the others being Franklin D. Roosevelt and George Wallace. As governor, Abbott supported the Donald Trump administration and has promoted a conservative agenda, including measures against abortion such as the Texas Heartbeat Act, lenient gun laws, opposition to illegal immigration, support for law enforcement funding, and election reform. In response to the power crisis following a February 2021 winter storm, Abbott called for reforms to Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and signed a bill requiring power plant weatherization. During the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas, Abbott opposed implementing face mask and vaccine mandates, while blocking local governments, businesses, and other organizations from implementing their own.

Early life, education, and legal career

Abbott was born on November 13, 1957, in Wichita Falls, Texas, of English descent.[2] His mother, Doris Lechristia Jacks Abbott, was a housewife and his father, Calvin Rodger Abbott, was a stockbroker and insurance agent.[3][4] When he was six years old, they moved to Longview; the family lived there for six years.[3] When he was 12, Abbott's family moved to Duncanville. In his sophomore year in high school, his father died of a heart attack; his mother went to work in a real estate office.[3] Abbott graduated from Duncanville High School,[5] where he was on the track team,[6] in the National Honor Society, and was voted "Most Likely to Succeed".[6]

In 1981, Abbott earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity and the Young Republicans Club. He met his wife, Cecilia Phalen, while attending UT Austin.[3] The two married in 1981.[7] In 1984, he earned his Juris Doctor degree from the Vanderbilt University Law School.[3]

Abbott went into private practice, working for Butler and Binion, LLP between 1984 and 1992.[8]

Judicial career

Abbott's judicial career began in Houston, where he served as a state trial judge in the 129th District Court for three years.[8] Then-Governor George W. Bush appointed Abbott to the Texas Supreme Court; he was then twice elected to the state's highest civil court—in 1996 (two-year term) and in 1998 (six-year term). In 1996, Abbott had no Democratic opponent but was challenged by Libertarian John B. Hawley of Dallas. Abbott defeated Hawley, 84% to 16%.[9] In 1998, Abbott defeated Democrat David Van Os, 60% to 40%.[10]

In 2001, after resigning from the Supreme Court, Abbott returned to private practice and worked for Bracewell & Giuliani LLC.[11] He was also an adjunct professor at University of Texas School of Law.[12]

Attorney General of Texas

 
Greg Abbott talks about the Harriet Miers nomination with President George W. Bush and former Texas Supreme Court Justices in 2005. From left: Eugene Cook, Raul Gonzalez, Abbott, John Hill, James Baker, Bush, and Craig Enoch
 
Abbott and John Cornyn highlight Crime Stoppers Month in San Antonio, 2008

2002 election

Abbott resigned from the Texas Supreme Court in 2001 to run for lieutenant governor of Texas.[3] He had been campaigning for several months when the previous attorney general, John Cornyn, vacated the post to run for the U.S. Senate.[3] Abbott then switched his campaign to the open attorney general's position in 2002. He defeated the Democratic nominee, former Austin mayor and former state senator[13] Kirk Watson, 57% to 41%.[14] Abbott was sworn in on December 2, 2002, following Cornyn's election to the Senate.

Tenure

Abbott expanded the attorney general's office's law enforcement division from about 30 people to more than 100.[3] He also created a new division, the Fugitive Unit, to track down convicted sex offenders in violation of their paroles or probations.[3]

In 2003, Abbott supported the Texas Legislature's move to cap non-economic damages for medical malpractice cases at $250,000, with no built-in increases for rising cost of living.[15]

In a 2013 speech to fellow Republicans, when asked what his job entails, Abbott said: "I go into the office in the morning, I sue Barack Obama, and then I go home."[16] Abbott filed 31 lawsuits against the Obama administration,[17] including suits against the Environmental Protection Agency; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including challenges to the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare"); and the U.S. Department of Education, among many others.[3] According to The Wall Street Journal, from Abbott's tenure as attorney general through his first term as governor, Texas sued the Obama administration at least 44 times, more than any other state over the same period; court challenges included carbon-emission standards, health-care reform, transgender rights, and others.[18] The Dallas Morning News compared Abbott to Scott Pruitt, noting that both attorneys general had repeatedly sued the federal government over its environmental regulations.[19] The Houston Chronicle noted that Abbott "led the charge against Obama-era climate regulations".[20]

Abbott has said that the state must not release Tier II Chemical Inventory Reports for security reasons, but that Texans "can ask every facility whether they have chemicals or not".[21] Koch Industries has denied that its contributions to Abbott's campaign had anything to do with his ruling against releasing the safety information.[22]

In March 2014, Abbott filed a motion to intervene on behalf of Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Plano in three federal lawsuits against the hospital, brought by patients who alleged that the hospital allowed Christopher Duntsch to perform neurosurgery despite knowing that he was a dangerous physician.[23] Abbott cited the Texas legislature's cap on malpractice cases and the statute's removal of the term "gross negligence" from the definition of legal malice as reasons for defending Baylor.[24]

In the late 2000s, Abbott established a unit in the attorney general's office to pursue voter-fraud prosecutions, using a $1.4 million federal grant; the unit prosecuted a few dozen cases, resulting "in small fines and little or no jail time".[25] The office found no large-scale fraud that could change the outcome of any election.[25]

Lawsuit against Sony BMG

Main article: Sony BMG CD copy protection scandal

In late 2005, Abbott sued Sony BMG.[26][27] Texas was the first state in the nation to bring legal action against Sony BMG for illegal spyware.[26][27] The suit is also the first filed under the state's spyware law of 2005.[26][27] It alleges the company surreptitiously installed the spyware on millions of compact music discs (CDs) that consumers inserted into their computers when they played the CDs, which can compromise the systems.[27][28] On December 21, 2005, Abbott added new allegations to his lawsuit against Sony-BMG. He said the MediaMax copy protection technology violated Texas's spyware and deceptive trade practices laws.[26][29] Sony-BMG offered consumers a licensing agreement when they bought CDs and played them on their computers;[26][29] in the lawsuit, brought under the Consumer Protection Against Computer Spyware Act of 2005 and other laws, Abbott alleged that even if consumers rejected that agreement, spyware was secretly installed on their computers, posing security risks for music buyers and deceiving Texas purchasers.[26][29][30] Sony settled the Texas lawsuit, as well as a similar suit brought by California's attorney general, for $1.5 million.[31]

Separation of church and state

Main article: Van Orden v. Perry

In March 2005, Abbott delivered oral argument before the United States Supreme Court on behalf of Texas, defending a Ten Commandments monument on grounds of the Texas State Capitol. Thousands of similar monuments were donated to cities and towns across the nation by the Fraternal Order of Eagles, who were inspired by the Cecil B. DeMille film The Ten Commandments (1956) in following years.[32] In his deposition, Abbott said, "The Ten Commandments are a historically recognized system of law."[33] The Supreme Court held in a 5–4 decision that the Texas display did not violate the First Amendment's Establishment Clause and was constitutional.[34] After Abbott's oral arguments in Van Orden v. Perry, Justice John Paul Stevens commented upon Abbott's performance while in a wheelchair, "I want to thank you [...] for demonstrating that it's not necessary to stand at the lectern in order to do a fine job."[6]

Guns

As attorney general, Abbott opposed gun control legislation. In 2013, he criticized legislation enacted by New York State strengthening its gun regulation laws by expanding an assault weapons ban and creating a high-capacity magazine ban; he also said he would sue if Congress enacted a new gun-control bill.[35] After the law passed, Abbott's political campaign placed Internet ads to users with Albany and Manhattan ZIP codes suggesting that New York gun owners should move to Texas. One ad read, "Is Gov. Cuomo looking to take your guns?", and the other read, "Wanted: Law abiding New York gun owners looking for lower taxes and greater opportunity." The ads linked to a letter on Facebook in which Abbott wrote that such a move would enable citizens "to keep more of what you earn and use some of that extra money to buy more ammo".[36]

In February 2014, Abbott argued against a lawsuit brought by the National Rifle Association (NRA) to allow more people access to concealed carry of firearms, as he felt this would disrupt public safety.[37]

Tort reform

Abbott backed legislation in Texas to limit "punitive damages stemming from noneconomic losses" and "noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases" at $750,000 and $250,000, respectively.[38] While the settlement in his own paralysis case was a "nonmedical liability lawsuit", which remains uncapped, Abbott has faced criticism, generally from Democrats who oppose the Republican-backed lawsuit curbs, for "tilt[ing] the judicial scales toward civil defendants."[38]

Support for ban on sex toys

As attorney general, Abbott unsuccessfully defended Texas's ban on sex toys.[39] He said Texas had a legitimate interest in "discouraging prurient interests in autonomous sex and the pursuit of sexual gratification unrelated to procreation."[39]

Opposition to same-sex marriage

As attorney general, Abbott defended the state's ban on same-sex marriage from a constitutional challenge.[40] In 2014, he argued in court that Texas should be allowed to prohibit same-sex marriage because LGBT individuals cannot procreate. He said that as "same-sex relationships do not naturally produce children, recognizing same-sex marriage does not further these goals to the same extent that recognizing opposite-sex marriage does."[39] He also argued that gay people are still free to marry, saying they are "as free to marry an opposite-sex spouse as anyone else".[39] He suggested that same-sex marriage led to slippery slope where "any conduct that has been traditionally prohibited can become a constitutional right simply by redefining it at a higher level of abstraction."[39]

2006 election

In the November 7, 2006, general election, Abbott was challenged by civil rights attorney David Van Os, who had been his Democratic opponent in the 1998 election for state Supreme Court. He was reelected to a second term with 60% to Van Os's 37%.[41]

2010 election

Abbott ran for a third term in 2010. He defeated the Democratic nominee, attorney Barbara Ann Radnofsky, with 64% of the vote to her 34%.[42] He was the longest-serving Texas attorney general in Texas history.[43]

In July 2013, the Houston Chronicle alleged improper ties and oversight between many of Abbott's largest donors and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, of which he was a director.[44]

Gubernatorial elections

2014

Main article: 2014 Texas gubernatorial election
 
Final results by county in 2014:
  Greg Abbott
  •   >90%
  •   80–90%
  •   70–80%
  •   60–70%
  •   50–60%
  •   40–50%
  •   70–80%
  •   60–70%
  •   50–60%
  •   40–50%

In July 2013, shortly after Governor Rick Perry announced that he would not seek a fourth full term,[45] Abbott announced his candidacy for governor of Texas in the 2014 election.[46] In the first six months of 2011, he raised more money for his campaign than any other previous Texas politician, reaching $1.6 million. The next-highest fundraiser among state officeholders was Texas comptroller Susan Combs, with $611,700.[47]

Abbott won the Republican primary on March 4, 2014, with 91.5% of the vote. He faced State Senator Wendy Davis in the general election.[48]

 
Abbott after receiving the Republican nomination in 2014

Abbott promised to "tie outcomes to funding" for pre-K programs if elected,[49] but said he would not require government standardized testing for 4-year-olds, as Davis accused him of suggesting.[50] When defending his education plan, Abbott cited Charles Murray: "Family background has the most decisive effect on student achievement, contributing to a large performance gap between children from economically disadvantaged families and those from middle class homes."[51] A spokesman for Abbott's campaign pointed out that the biggest difference in spending was that Davis had proposed universal pre-K education while Abbott wanted to limit state funding to programs that meet certain standards.[51] Davis's plan could reach $750 million in cost and Abbott said that her plan was a "budget buster", whereas his education plan would cost no more than $118 million.[51] Overall, Abbott said the reforms he envisioned would "level the playing field for all students [and] target schools which don't have access to the best resources." He called for greater access to technology in the classroom and mathematics instruction for kindergarten pupils.[52]

Abbott received $1.4 million in campaign contributions from recipients of the Texas Enterprise Fund, some of whose members submitted the proper paperwork for grants.[53] Elliot Nagin of the Union of Concerned Scientists observed that Abbott was the recipient of large support from the fossil fuels industries, such as NuStar Energy, Koch Industries, Valero Energy, ExxonMobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips.[54] Abbott was endorsed by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram,[55] the Dallas Morning News,[56] the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal[57] and the Tyler Morning Telegraph.[58] He and his running mate for lieutenant governor, Dan Patrick, were endorsed by the National Rifle Association and received their 'A' rating.[59]

Abbott defeated Davis by over 20 percentage points in the November general election.[60][61][62][63]

2018 election

Main article: 2018 Texas gubernatorial election
 
Final results by county in 2018:
  Greg Abbott
  •   >90%
  •   80–90%
  •   70–80%
  •   60–70%
  •   50–60%
  •   40–50%
  •   70–80%
  •   60–70%
  •   50–60%
  •   40–50%

In January 2017, Abbott was reportedly raising funds for a 2018 reelection bid as governor; as of December 2016, he had $34.4 million on hand for his campaign, of which he had raised $9 million during the second half of 2016.[64][65] Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick had been mentioned as a potential challenger, but confirmed that he would run for reelection as lieutenant governor.[65] During the weekend of January 21, 2017, Abbott said that he intended to run for reelection.[66] He confirmed this on March 28, 2017.[67]

Abbott formally announced his reelection campaign on July 14, 2017.[68][69] This came four days before the start of a special legislative session that could split the Republican Party into factions favoring Abbott and Patrick on one hand and House speaker Joe Straus on the other. Straus represented the Moderate Republican faction, which opposes much of the social conservative agenda Abbott and Patrick pursued.

In the November 6 general election, Abbott defeated Democratic nominee Lupe Valdez with about 56% of the vote,[70][71][72][73] having outraised her 18 to 1.[74] He received 42% of the Hispanic and 16% of the African American vote.[75]

2022 election

Main article: 2022 Texas gubernatorial election
 
Final results by county in 2022:
  Greg Abbott
  •   >90%
  •   80–90%
  •   70–80%
  •   60–70%
  •   50–60%
  •   40–50%
  •   70–80%
  •   60–70%
  •   50–60%

Abbott ran for a third term and faced challengers from within his own party,[76][77] including former Texas Republican Party chair Allen West and Don Huffines.[78][79] On March 1, he won the primary with over 66% of the vote. He was challenged by the Democratic nominee, former U.S. Representative Beto O'Rourke.[80] Abbott began with a large campaign funding advantage over his opponents, but was outraised by O'Rourke, who raised $81.6 million to Abbott's $78.5 million.[81][82]

Abbott defeated O'Rourke, 54% to 43%, becoming the fifth Texas governor to serve three terms, after Allan Shivers, Price Daniel, John Connally and Rick Perry.[83] He won 68% of Anglos, 18% of African Americans, and 42% of Latinos.[1]

2026 election

Main article: 2026 Texas gubernatorial election

According to the Austin American Statesman, advisers close to Abbott have said he has not ruled out running for a fourth term in 2026, which would make him the longest-serving governor in state history with 16 years of service by January 21, 2031, surpassing former governor Rick Perry's 14 years.[2]

Tenure as governor

 
Abbott speaking at the 2016 World Travel and Tourism Council conference

Abbott was sworn in as governor of Texas on January 20, 2015, succeeding Rick Perry.[84][85] He is the first governor of Texas and the third elected governor of a U.S. state to use a wheelchair, after Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York (1929–1932) and George Wallace of Alabama (1963–1967, 1971–1979; 1983–1987).[86][87][88]

Abbott held his first meeting as governor with a foreign prime minister when he met with the Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny on March 15, 2015, to discuss trade and economic relations.[89]

During the 2015 legislative session, initiated by officials at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the Texas legislature placed a rider to cut $150 million from its budget by ending payments and coverage for various developmental therapies for children on Medicaid. A lawsuit was filed against the state on behalf of affected families and therapy providers, claiming the cut could cause irreparable damage to the affected children's development.[90] The litigation obtained a temporary injunction order on September 25, 2015, barring THHSC from implementing therapy rate cuts.[91]

During Donald Trump's presidency, Abbott ardently supported Trump.[92] The Trump administration appointed several former Abbott appointees to federal courts, which some media outlets attributed to Abbott's influence on the administration.[93] In 2021, Trump endorsed Abbott for reelection, choosing him over several Republican primary rivals who also positioned themselves as pro-Trump.[94]

Abbott's book Broken But Unbowed (2016) recounted Abbott's personal story and views on politics.[95]

In October 2016, explosive packages were mailed to Abbott, President Obama, and the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration. Abbott's package did not explode when he opened it because "he did not open [the package] as intended".[96]

On June 6, 2017, Abbott called for a special legislative session in order to pass several of his legislative priorities,[97][98] an agenda supported by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.[99] Abbott vetoed 50 bills in the regular 2017 session, the most in a session since 2007.[100][101]

Abbott appointed multiple judges to various judgeships, including several GOP-affiliated judges who had recently lost local judicial elections.[102]

After the regular 2021 session, The New York Times called Abbott and Patrick "the driving force behind one of the hardest right turns in recent state history".[103] Other sources said Abbott and other state officials advanced strongly conservative policies.[104][105][106]

Abortion

In November 2016, the State of Texas, at Abbott's request, approved new rules that require facilities that perform abortions either to bury or cremate the aborted, rather than dispose of the remains in a sanitary landfill.[107][108] The rules were intended to go into effect on December 19,[107] but on December 15 a federal judge blocked them from going into effect for at least one month after the Center for Reproductive Rights and other advocacy groups filed a lawsuit.[109] On January 27, 2017, a federal judge ruled against the law, but the State of Texas vowed to appeal the ruling.[110]

On June 6, 2017, Abbott signed a bill into law banning dismemberment and partial-birth abortions and requiring either burial or cremation of the aborted.[111][112][113] That law was also blocked by a federal judge; the state said it would appeal.[114][115]

On May 18, 2021, Abbott signed the Texas Heartbeat Act, a six-week abortion ban, into law.[116][117] In September 2021, he signed into law a bill preventing women from mail-ordering abortion medication seven weeks into pregnancy.[118]

Convention of States proposal

 
Governor Abbott with President Donald Trump during Hurricane Harvey emergency

In 2016, Abbott spoke to the Texas Public Policy Foundation, calling for a Convention of States to amend the U.S. Constitution. In his speech, he proposed the Texas Plan, a series of nine new amendments to "unravel the federal government's decades-long power grab "to impose fiscal restraints on the federal government and limit the federal government's power and jurisdiction." The plan would limit the power of the federal government and expand states' rights, allowing the states to nullify federal law under some circumstances.[119][120]

On January 8, 2016, Abbott called for a national constitutional convention to address what he saw as abuses by justices of the United States Supreme Court in "abandoning the Constitution."[121] Speaking to the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Abbott said, "We the people have to take the lead to restore the rule of law in the United States."[122] Abbott elaborated on his proposal in a public seminar at the Hoover Institute on May 17, 2016.[123]

Criminal justice

In the wake of the George Floyd protests, Abbott called on candidates in the 2020 elections to "back the blue."[124] In response to actions by some Texas cities to redirect funding from police to social services and emergency response, he threatened that the state of Texas would seize control of the local police departments.[125][124] In 2021, Abbott spearheaded legislative efforts to financially penalize cities in Texas that reduce spending on police.[126]

In 2021, Abbott vetoed a bipartisan criminal justice bill that would have made people convicted of certain crimes before the age of 18 eligible for early parole and created panels to consider inmates' age and mental status at the time of their crimes when evaluating parole eligibility.[127] He also vetoed legislation to prohibit police from using statements made under hypnosis in criminal court.[127] He also vetoed an animal protection bill that would have made it illegal to chain up dogs without giving them access to drinkable water and shade or shelter.[127]

Firearms

In 2015, Abbott signed the campus carry (SB 11) and the open carry (HB 910) bills into law.[128] The campus carry law came into effect later that year, allowing licensed carrying of a concealed handgun on public college campuses, with private colleges able to opt out.[128][129] The open carry bill went into effect in 2016, allowing the licensed open carrying of handguns in public areas and private businesses that do not display a 30.07 sign. The 30.07 sign (referring to state penal code 30.07) states that a handgun may not be carried openly even by a licensed gun carrier. To do so openly is considered trespassing.[128][129][130] Texas is the 45th state to have open carry.[131] In 2017, Abbott signed into law a bill lowering handgun carry license fees.[132] In 2021, he signed into law a bill that allowed Texans to carry guns without a license.[133]

In an interview with Fox News following the November 5, 2017, Sutherland Springs church shooting, Abbott urged historical reflection and the consideration that evil had been present in earlier "horrific events" during the Nazi era, the Middle Ages and biblical times.[134] The Anti-Defamation League called his comparison of the shooting "to the victims of the Holocaust" "deeply offensive" and "insensitive".[135][136]

After the 2018 Santa Fe High School shooting, Abbott said that he would consult across Texas in an attempt to prevent gun violence in schools.[137] A series of round-table discussions followed at the state capitol.[138] In a speech to a NRA convention in Dallas almost two weeks later, Abbott said, "The problem is not guns, it's hearts without God".[139] In June 2019, he signed a bill allowing for more armed teachers, with school districts unrestricted as to the number they allow.[140] The creation of "threat assessment teams", passed into law by the bill, is intended to identify potentially violent students.[141] Although the state legislature passed measures for students services to deal with related mental health issues, proposals to adopt a red flag law failed. Abbott said such a law was "not necessary in the state of Texas."[140]

In August 2019, a gunman who had written a racist manifesto killed 22 people in a mass shooting at a Wal-Mart in El Paso, saying he had targeted "Mexicans".[142] After the shooting, Abbott convened a domestic terrorism task force to look into domestic extremism, but reiterated his opposition to a red-flag law and rejected calls to convene a special session of the state legislature to address gun violence.[142]

From September 1, 2021, Texans are able to carry handguns without a license or training after Abbott signed a permitless carry bill into law in June 2021.[143]

On May 24, 2022, Abbott said that an 18-year-old carrying a handgun and possibly a rifle (later identified as an Daniel Defense DDM4, an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle)[144] killed 19 students and 2 teachers at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.[145] On May 25, Abbott held a news conference to give further information on the shooting. Gun laws were not mentioned. Abbott said that mental health in the community was the root cause of the event. Beto O'Rourke, who was running for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2022, approached the stage and said, "The time to stop the next shooting is right now and you are doing nothing." Abbott responded that it was a time for "healing and hope" for the victim's families, not "our agendas."[146] Rather than attend the annual NRA meeting on May 27, Abbott published a YouTube message. He did not mention the sale of assault rifles, but said that gun laws have not been effective, noting that the shooter broke two gun laws the day he committed the multiple murders. It is a felony to possess a gun on school property, and "what he did on campus is capital murder. That's a crime that would have subjected him to the death penalty in Texas", Abbott said.[147]

Jade Helm 15

See also: Jade Helm 15 conspiracy theories

On April 28, 2015, Abbott asked the State Guard to monitor the training exercise Jade Helm 15 amid Internet-fueled suspicions that the war simulation was really a hostile military takeover.[148][149][150][151] In 2018, former director of the CIA and NSA Michael Hayden said that Russian intelligence organizations had propagated the conspiracy theory and that Abbott's response convinced them of the power such a misinformation campaign could have in the United States.[152]

Religion

In 2015, Abbott signed the Pastor Protection Act, which allows members of the clergy to refuse to marry same-sex couples if they feel doing so violates their beliefs.[153]

In 2017, Abbott signed into law Senate Bill 24, preventing state or local governments from subpoenaing pastors' sermons.[154][155] The bill was inspired by an anti-discrimination ordinance in Houston, where five pastors' sermons were subpoenaed.[154]

Also in 2017, Abbott signed House Bill 3859, which allows faith-based groups working with the Texas child welfare system to deny services "under circumstances that conflict with the provider's sincerely held religious beliefs." Democrats and civil rights advocates said the adoption bill could allow such groups to discriminate against those who practice a different religion or who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, and LGBT rights groups said they would challenge the bill in court.[156][157] In response, California added Texas to a list of states to which it banned official government travel.[158]

Immigration

 
Abbott and Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly in a helicopter touring the Mexico–United States border in 2017.

In November 2015, Abbott announced that Texas would refuse Syrian refugees following the Paris terrorist attack that occurred earlier that month. In December 2015, Abbott ordered the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to sue the federal government and the International Rescue Committee to block refugee settlement, but a federal district court struck the lawsuit down.[159]

On February 1, 2017, Abbott blocked funding to Travis County, Texas, due to its recently implemented sanctuary city policy.[160][161] On May 7, 2017, he signed into law Texas Senate Bill 4, targeting sanctuary cities by charging county or city officials who refuse to work with federal officials and allowing police officers to check the immigration status of those they detain.[162][163]

In January 2020, Abbott made Texas the first state to decline refugee resettlement under a new rule implemented by the Trump administration.[164] In a joint statement, all 16 Catholic bishops of Texas condemned the move.[165]

In 2021, Abbott referred to undocumented immigrants crossing the border as an "invasion".[166] In March 2021, he tweeted, "The Biden Administration is recklessly releasing hundreds of illegal immigrants who have COVID into Texas communities." PolitiFact rated Abbott's claim "Mostly False", since those being released were asylum seekers with a legal right to remain in the U.S., and the number was well below "hundreds", only 108, at the time of Abbott's tweet.[167]

In June 2021, Abbott ordered Texas child-care regulators to take the licenses of child-care facilities that housed unaccompanied migrant minors. He said that housing unaccompanied minors in child-care facilities had a negative impact on facilities housing Texan children in foster care.[168] Later that month, he announced plans to build a border wall with Mexico, saying that the state would provide $250 million and that direct donations from the public would be solicited.[169][170]

In July 2021, Abbott advised state law enforcement officers to begin arresting illegal migrants for trespassing.[171][172] On July 27, 2021, he ordered the National Guard to begin helping arrest migrants,[173][174] and the next day he signed an order to restrict the ground transportation of migrants.[175][176][177] Migrants arrested under Abbott's policy were imprisoned for weeks without legal help or formal charges.[178]

In 2021, Abbott announced that Texas would continue the U.S. Border Wall started by Donald Trump.[179] The wall is the same design Trump used and is under construction.

On April 7, 2022, Abbott announced in a press conference a plan to direct the Texas Division of Emergency Management to bus illegal immigrants with 900 charter buses from Texas to Washington D.C, citing the potential surge of immigrants who would cross the border after Title 42 provisions regarding communicable disease were set to be rolled back by President Biden the next month.[180] Any mayor, county judge, or city could request buses for immigrants who had been released from federal custody.[181] After initial criticism, Abbott clarified that the trip would be voluntary for immigrants.[182] On April 13, the first bus, carrying 24 immigrants, arrived in Washington D.C after 30 hours.[183] A second bus arrived the next day.[184] Abbott came under fire for both buses, with one American Enterprise Institute scholar suggesting Abbott be federally prosecuted for human trafficking. Senator Ted Cruz supported Abbott's actions and advocated for more immigrants to be bused into other predominantly Democratic areas.[185] In a press conference, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said it was "nice" that Texas was "helping them get to their final destination as they await the outcome of their immigration proceedings".[186] Washington D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser responded to the influx of migrants from Texas by requesting National Guard support for what she termed a "migrant crisis".[187]

On September 15, 2022, Abbott sent two buses with 101 mostly Venezuelan migrants detained after crossing the U.S. border with Mexico to the residence of Vice President Kamala Harris, at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D. C. In Caracas Chronicles, Rafael Osío Cabrices compared Abbott's tactics to those of Aleksander Lukashenko, who provoked a migrant crisis in the European Union Eastern border as a reprisal to criticism, and Fidel Castro, who released common criminals and mental health patients during the 1980 Mariel boatlift and shipped them to the United States.[188] On September 17, Abbott sent another bus with 50 migrants to Harris's residence.[189]

Border issues

In early April 2022, Abbott announced that Texas would increase inspections of commercial trucks entering from Mexico with the goal of seizing illegal drugs and illegal migrants.[190] Shortly thereafter, the inspections caused a multi-mile backup of commercial vehicles carrying produce, auto parts, household goods and many other items. A spokesman for the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas said that up to 80% of perishable fruits and vegetables had been unable to cross and in some cases were in danger of spoiling. The president of the Texas Trucking Association said the delays were affecting every kind of trucking and being felt across the country.[191] Mexican truckers blockaded several bridges in protest.[192] Under heavy pressure from Texas business owners, who strongly criticized the "secondary inspections", Abbott canceled the policy on April 15. He said the reversal was because the governors of adjacent Mexican states had agreed to exercise stronger vigilance against human trafficking, drugs, and guns.[193]

Abbott's truck inspections ultimately cost Texas an estimated $4.2 billion and led to no apprehensions of drugs or illegal migrants.[194]

Environment

 
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, India's Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship in a meeting with Governor Abbott, in 2018.

As of 2018, Abbott rejects the scientific consensus on climate change. He has said that the climate is changing, but does not accept the consensus that human activity is the main reason.[195][196]

In early 2014, Abbott participated in sessions held at the headquarters of the United States Chamber of Commerce to devise a legal strategy to dismantle climate change regulations.[197] In 2016, he supported Scott Pruitt's appointment as head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), saying, "He and I teamed up on many lawsuits against the EPA."[198] As Texas attorney general, Abbott often sued the federal government over environmental regulations.[199]

After Joe Biden was elected president, Abbott vowed to pursue an aggressive legal strategy against the Biden administration's environmental regulations.[200]

Voting rights

See also: Republican efforts to restrict voting following the 2020 presidential election

Abbott pressed for a purge of nearly 100,000 registered voters from Texas voter rolls. Texas officials initially claimed that the voters to be purged were not American citizens. The purge was canceled in April 2018 after voting rights groups challenged the purge, and officials at the Office of the Texas Secretary of State admitted that tens of thousands of legal voters (naturalized citizens) were wrongly flagged for removal. Abbott claimed that he played no role in the voter purge, but emails released in June 2019 showed that he was the driving force behind the effort.[201]

In September 2020, Abbott issued a proclamation that each Texas county could have only one location where voters could drop off early voting ballots. He justified the decision by claiming it would prevent "illegal voting" but cited no examples of voter fraud. Election security experts say voter fraud is extremely rare.[202][203] Also in September 2020, Abbott extended the early voting period for that year's general election due to COVID-19; the Republican Party of Texas opposed his decision.[204]

Abbott made "election integrity" a legislative priority after President Trump's failed attempts to overturn the election results of 2020 United States presidential election by using baseless claims that the results were fraudulent.[205] Voting rights advocates and civil rights groups denounced the resulting legislation, saying it disproportionately affected voters of color and people with disabilities.[206]

In July 2021, Democratic lawmakers in the Texas legislature fled the state on a chartered flight to Washington, D.C. in an effort to block the passage of a bill that would reform the state election procedures.[207] Abbott threatened to have the lawmakers arrested upon their return to Texas.[208] In August, the Supreme Court of Texas made a ruling allowing for the arrest of the absent lawmakers, so they could be brought to the state capitol.[209]

In October 2021, Abbott appointed John Scott as Texas Secretary of State, putting him in a position to oversee Texas elections. Scott aided Trump in his failed efforts to throw out election results in the 2020 presidential election.[210][211]

LGBT rights

In 2014, Abbott defended Texas's ban on same-sex marriage, which a federal court ruled unconstitutional.[212] As attorney general of Texas, he argued that the prohibition on same-sex marriage incentivized that children would be born "in the context of stable, lasting relationships."[212]

Abbott condemned Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court ruling that same-sex marriage bans are unconstitutional.[213] He said, "the Supreme Court has abandoned its role as an impartial judicial arbiter."[213] Shortly thereafter, Abbott filed a lawsuit to stop same-sex spouses of city employees from being covered by benefit policies.[214]

In a letter dated May 27, 2017, the CEOs of 14 large technology companies, including Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon, urged Abbott not to pass what came to be known as the "bathroom bill":[215] legislation requiring people to use the bathroom of the sex listed on their birth certificates, not the one of their choice. The bill was revived by Abbott and supported by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.[216] In March 2018, Byron Cook, the chairman of the House State Affairs committee who blocked the bill, claimed that Abbott privately opposed the bill.[217] The bill was never signed; Abbott later said, "it's not on my agenda" in a debate with Lupe Valdez, the Democratic nominee for governor in 2018.[218]

In 2017, Abbott signed legislation to allow taxpayer-funded adoption agencies to refuse same-sex families from adopting children for religious reasons.[219]

In 2021, a Republican primary challenger criticized Abbott because Texas's child welfare agency included content regarding LGBTQ youths. Shortly thereafter, the agency, whose members Abbott appoints, removed the webpage that included a suicide prevention hotline and other resources for LGBT youths.[220]

In 2022, Abbott instructed Texas state agencies to treat gender-affirming medical treatments (such as puberty blockers or hormone treatments) for transgender youths as child abuse.[221][222][223]

Homelessness

In June 2019, the city of Austin introduced an ordinance that repealed a 25-year-old ban on homeless people camping, lying, or sleeping in public.[224] In October 2019, Abbott sent a widely publicized letter to Austin Mayor Steve Adler criticizing the camping ban repeal and threatened to deploy state resources to combat homelessness.[225]

In November 2019, Abbott directed the State of Texas to open a temporary homeless encampment on a former vehicle storage yard owned by the Texas Department of Transportation, which camp residents dubbed "Abbottville".[226]

Marijuana

In 2019, when numerous local prosecutors announced that they would stop prosecuting low-level marijuana offenses, Abbott instructed them to continue enforcing marijuana laws.[227][228][229] The prosecutors cited recently passed legislation that legalized hemp. As hemp contains the same chemical as marijuana, THC, tests at law enforcement's disposal cannot distinguish between marijuana usage and hemp usage.[228] Abbott has said that legal hemp products come with a "hemp certificate".[228]

In 2022, a poll of Texas voters found that 55% of Texans either support or strongly support legalizing cannabis.[230]

COVID-19 pandemic

 
Abbott speaking with President Donald Trump and members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force in the Oval Office

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Abbott issued a stay-at-home order from April 2 to May 1, 2020.[231][232] This was one of the shortest stay-at-home orders implemented by any governor.[232] After Texas started to reopen, COVID-19 surged, leading Abbott to pause the reopening.[232] On June 24, Texas broke its record of new COVID-19 cases in a day.[232] Critics described Abbott's pause as a half-measure and argued that he should reverse the reopening in full to limit the virus's spread.[232]

According to The New York Times, Abbott's response to the pandemic has been contradictory, as he has said that Texans should stay at home while also saying that Texas is open for business.[232] He also said that Texans should wear face masks but refused to issue a statewide mandate.[232] Abbott's response to the pandemic has been criticized on both sides of the political spectrum.[232] In July 2020, he directed counties with more than 20 COVID-19 cases to wear masks in public places; he had previously prohibited local governments from implementing required face masks.[233]

In December 2020, Abbott directed Texas restaurants to ignore local curfews that had been imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Localities had implemented restrictions on indoor dining and drinking late at night on New Years weekend amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.[234][235]

On March 2, 2021, Abbott lifted all COVID-19 restrictions in Texas, which included ending a mask mandate and allowing businesses to reopen "100 percent."[236]

In April 2021, Abbott signed an executive order banning state agencies and corporations that take public funding from requiring proof of vaccination against COVID-19.[237] In June 2021, he signed a bill that would punish businesses that require customers to have proof of COVID-19 vaccination for services.[238]

On May 18, 2021, Abbott issued an executive order banning mask mandates in public schools and governmental entities, with up to a $1,000 fine for non-compliers.[239]

On August 17, 2021, Abbott's office announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated since December 2020. According to his office, Abbott was "in good health and experiencing no symptoms".[240] He received Regeneron's monoclonal antibody treatment.[241]

Abbott emphasized personal responsibility over government restrictions, and resolutely opposed government mandates in August 2021.[242] On July 29, 2021, during an again worsening pandemic,[243][244] he issued a superseding executive order (GA-38) that reinstated earlier orders and imposed additional prohibitions on local governmental officials, state agencies, public universities,[245] and businesses doing business with the state, to prohibit them from adopting measures such as requiring face masks or proof of vaccination status as a condition of service. The order also provides for a $1,000 fine for local officials who adopt inconsistent policies.[246][247][248] President Biden criticized Abbott for these measures.[249] The ban on mask mandates led to a score of legal challenges between Abbott and local governments, including school districts.[250] In justifying the ban on local government mandates in August 2021, an Abbott spokesperson said, "Private businesses don't need government running their business."[251] In October 2021, Abbott issued an executive order that banned any entity, including a private business, from implementing a vaccine requirement for its employees.[252]

February 2021 North American ice storm

See also: February 13–17, 2021 North American winter storm and 2021 Texas power crisis
 
Abbott and President Joe Biden at the Harris County Emergency Operations Center in 2021

During the February 13–17, 2021 North American winter storm, power-plant failures across Texas left four million households in Texas without power.[253] Abbott called for investigation and reform of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the electric grid operator for most of Texas.[254]

On February 16, on Hannity, Abbott said, "This shows how the Green New Deal would be a deadly deal for the United States of America ... Our wind and our solar got shut down, and they were collectively more than 10 percent of our power grid, and that thrust Texas into a situation where it was lacking power on a statewide basis... It just shows that fossil fuel is necessary." The Texas energy department of the state of Texas immediately clarified that "most of Texas's energy losses came from failures to winterize the power-generating systems, including fossil fuel pipelines."[255][254] Most power plants in Texas are gas-fired, with wind generators providing about 10% during the winter.[254]

By February 18, Abbott had ordered Texas natural gas to sell exclusively to power generators in Texas, which had an immediate and direct impact on Mexico, where gas-fired plants generate two-thirds of all energy.[256]

In June 2021, Abbott signed a bill requiring power companies to be more prepared for extreme weather events.[257]

Personal life

 
Greg Abbott (far right) and Cecilia Abbott (far left) with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump

Abbott, a Catholic, is married to Cecilia Phalen Abbott, the granddaughter of Mexican immigrants.[258][259][260] They were married in San Antonio in 1981.[3] His election as governor of Texas made her the first Latina to be First Lady of Texas since Texas joined the union.[259][261] They have one adopted daughter, Audrey.[11][258][259] Cecilia is a former schoolteacher and principal.[8]

Wheelchair use

On July 14, 1984, at age 26, Abbott was paralyzed below the waist when an oak tree fell on him while he was jogging after a storm.[8][262] Two steel rods were implanted in his spine, and he underwent extensive rehabilitation at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston and has used a wheelchair ever since.[263][264] He sued the homeowner and a tree service company, resulting in an insurance settlement that provided him with lump sum payments every three years until 2022 along with monthly payments for life; both are adjusted for inflation.[265] As of August 2013, the monthly payment was US$14,000 and the three-year lump sum payment was US$400,000, all tax-free. Abbott has said he relied on the money to pay for nearly three decades of medical expenses and other costs.[265]

Electoral history

On November 4, 2014, Abbott defeated Wendy Davis by 20 points in the Texas gubernatorial election. According to exit polls, he received 44% of the Hispanic vote and 50% of Hispanic men, a majority (54%) of female voters, and 62% of the votes of married women (75% of women in Texas are married).[266][267][268]

2022
2022 Texas gubernatorial election[269]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Greg Abbott 4,437,099 54.8
Democratic Beto O'Rourke 3,553,656 43.9
Libertarian Mark Tippets 44,805 1
Green Delilah Barrios 28,584 0.3
Republican hold
2018
2018 Texas gubernatorial election[270]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Greg Abbott 4,656,196 55.8
Democratic Lupe Valdez 3,546,615 42.5
Libertarian Mark Tippets 140,632 1.7
Republican hold
2014
2014 Texas gubernatorial election[271]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Greg Abbott 2,790,227 59.3
Democratic Wendy Davis 1,832,254 38.9
Libertarian Kathie Glass 66,413 1.1
Green Brandon Parmer 18,494 0.4
Independent Sarah M. Pavitt 1,168 <0.1
Republican hold
2010
2010 Texas Attorney General election[272]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Greg Abbott 3,151,064 64.1
Democratic Barbara Ann Radnofsky 1,655,859 33.7
Libertarian Jon Roland 112,118 2.3
Republican hold
2006
2006 Texas Attorney General election[272]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Greg Abbott 2,556,063 59.5
Democratic David Van Os 1,599,069 37.2
Libertarian Jon Roland 139,668 3.3
Republican hold
2002
2002 Texas Attorney General election[272]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Greg Abbott 2,542,184 56.7
Democratic Kirk Watson 1,841,359 41.1
Libertarian Jon Roland 56,880 1.3
Green David Keith Cobb 41,560 0.9
Republican hold
1998
1998 Texas Supreme Court Associate Justice election[272]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Greg Abbott 2,104,828 60.1
Democratic David Van Os 1,396,924 39.9
Republican hold

References

  1. ^ "TJB | SC | About the Court | Court History | Justices Since 1945 | Justices, Place 5". txcourts.gov. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  2. ^ "Biography of Greg Abbott". Texapedia. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Sweany, Brian D. (October 2013). "The Overcomer". Texas Monthly. Austin, Texas. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  4. ^ "Person Details for Gregory Wayne Abbott, "Texas, Birth Index, 1903–1997"". FamilySearch.org. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  5. ^ vote-smart.org. October 23, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ a b c Wilson, Reid (October 30, 2014). "The likely next governor of Texas is full of Lone Star swagger. Don't be surprised if he runs for president". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  7. ^ "Texas Governor Greg Abbott". Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d . oag.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  9. ^ "Race Summary Report - 1996 General Election". Texas Secretary of State. November 5, 1996. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  10. ^ "Race Summary Report - 1998 General Election". Texas Secretary of State. November 3, 1998. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  11. ^ a b Mildenberg, David and Laurel Brubaker Calkins. Grit Drives Abbott to Follow Perry as Texas Governor, Bloomberg Businessweek, September 19, 2013.[dead link]
  12. ^ "Attorney General Greg Abbott's Biography". Project VoteSmart.org. November 13, 1957. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  13. ^ Goudeau, Ashley (April 30, 2020). "State Sen. Kirk Watson headed to University of Houston". KVUE. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  14. ^ "Race Summary Report - 2002 General Election". Texas Secretary of State. November 5, 2002. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  15. ^ Root, Jay (August 4, 2013). "Abbott Faces Questions on Settlement and His Advocacy of Tort Laws". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  16. ^ . SAST. February 19, 2013. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  17. ^ Satija, Neena; Carbonell, Lindsay; McCrimmon, Ryan (January 17, 2017). "Texas vs. the Feds — A Look at the Lawsuits". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  18. ^ Frosch, Dan; Gershman, Jacob (June 24, 2016). "Abbott's Strategy in Texas: 44 Lawsuits, One Opponent: Obama Administration; Former Attorney General, Now Governor, has Led a Red-State Revolt Against the White House". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  19. ^ "Trump's EPA pick sued Obama's agency early and often with anti-climate change ally Greg Abbott". dallasnews.com. December 7, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  20. ^ "Why the blue states' climate alliance may not work". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  21. ^ Root, Jay (July 1, 2014). "Abbott: Ask Chemical Plants What's Inside". The Texas Tribune. texastribune.org. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  22. ^ Slater, Wayne (July 3, 2014). "Koch Industries says gifts, Abbott's chemical ruling not linked". The Dallas Morning News. The Dallas Morning News Inc. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  23. ^ Solomon, Dan (March 27, 2014). "Greg Abbott Enters Fray in Lawsuits Involving "Sociopath" Doctor". Texas Monthly. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  24. ^ Swanson, Doug J. (March 2014). "Abbott sides with Baylor hospital in neurosurgeon lawsuit". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  25. ^ a b Robert T. Garrett, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says tighter restrictions on mail-in ballot procedures will deter voter fraud, Dallas Morning News (February 2, 2020).
  26. ^ a b c d e f "Texas Sues Sony BMG Alleging Violation of Texas Spyware Statute". Tech Law Journal. November 20, 2005. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  27. ^ a b c d Texas Attorney General's Office (November 21, 2014). "Attorney General Abbott Brings First Enforcement Action In Nation Against Sony BMG For Spyware Violations". State of Texas. Austin, Texas. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  28. ^ "News | Office of the Attorney General". from the original on November 20, 2007. Retrieved October 14, 2013., oag.state.tx.us.
  29. ^ a b c "AG throws more allegations at Sony BMG". The Business Journals. December 21, 2005. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  30. ^ "Attorney General ups the ante in lawsuit against Sony BMG". The Business Journals. December 22, 2005. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  31. ^ Robert McMillan, Sony pays $1.5M to settle Texas, CA rootkit suits, IDG News Service (December 19, 2005).
  32. ^ Greenhouse, Linda (February 28, 2005). "The Ten Commandments Reach the Supreme Court". The New York Times. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  33. ^ Mears, Bill. . CNN. Archived from the original on June 9, 2017.
  34. ^ Curry, Tom (August 27, 2005). "Breyer Cast Decisive Vote on Religious Displays". NBC News. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  35. ^ Jim Forsyth, Y'all come to Texas, state official tells New York gun owners, Reuters (January 17, 2013).
  36. ^ Fernandez, Manny (January 20, 2013). "Texas Attorney General to New Yorkers: Come on Down, With Guns". The New York Times. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  37. ^ Poppe, Ryan (February 26, 2014). "Supreme Court Won't Hear NRA's Case For Lowering Conceal-Carry Age Limit". tpr.org. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  38. ^ a b Root, Jay (August 4, 2013). "Abbott Faces Questions on Settlement and His Advocacy of Tort Laws". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  39. ^ a b c d e "A Closer Look at Greg Abbott's Anti-Gay Marriage Arguments". The Texas Observer. July 30, 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  40. ^ "Texas attorney general: 'ban on same-sex marriage promotes childbirth'". The Guardian. Associated Press. July 29, 2014. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  41. ^ "Race Summary Report - 2006 General Election". Race Summary Report - 2006 General Election. November 7, 2007. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  42. ^ "Race Summary Report - 2010 General Election". Texas Secretary of State. November 2, 2010. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  43. ^ Root, Jay (November 4, 2014). "Greg Abbott Crushes Wendy Davis in GOP Sweep". The Texas Tribune. Austin, Texas. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  44. ^ "Abbott's role at cancer agency under fire". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  45. ^ "Rick Perry Won't Run for Re-election". The Texas Tribune. July 8, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  46. ^ "Texas AG Abbott kicks off gubernatorial run". Archived from the original on July 14, 2013. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
  47. ^ "Greg Abbott and the Quiet Spot at the Top". The Texas Tribune. August 12, 2011. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  48. ^ . team1.sos.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on March 7, 2014. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  49. ^ Alexander, Kate (March 31, 2014). "Greg Abbott promotes improving quality of pre-K over expanding access, full-day classes". statesman.com. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  50. ^ Smith, Morgan; Ura, Alexa (April 8, 2014). "Abbott Campaign: Pre-K Plan Does Not Mean More Tests". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  51. ^ a b c Hoppe, Christy (April 1, 2014). . The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
  52. ^ "Texas Gubernatorial Candidate: Greg Abbott speaks about state issues, Laredo Morning Times, May 16, 2014, pp. 1, 14A
  53. ^ Slater, Wayne (September 28, 2014). . The Dallas Morning News. The Dallas Morning News Inc. Archived from the original on October 3, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  54. ^ Negin, Elliott (June 9, 2016). "After the Deluge: Texas and France Split on Climate Science". huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  55. ^ "For governor, Abbott holds promise". Editorial Board. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 19, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
  56. ^ "Editorial: We recommend Greg Abbott for Texas governor". Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas. October 16, 2014.
  57. ^ "Our View: Attorney General Greg Abbott is the best gubernatorial candidate". Editorial Board. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Lubbock, Texas. October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  58. ^ "Greg Abbott ready to be our governor". Editorial Board. Tyler Morning Telegraph. Tyler, Texas. October 18, 2014.
  59. ^ Reynolds, John (September 18, 2014). "NRA Endorses Abbott, Patrick". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  60. ^ Root, Jay (November 4, 2014). "Abbott Crushes Davis in GOP Sweep". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  61. ^ Hoppe, Christy (November 5, 2014). "Greg Abbott Tops Wendy Davis in Texas Governor's Race". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  62. ^ Herskovitz, Jon (November 4, 2014). "Republican Greg Abbott Wins Texas Governor's Race". Reuters. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  63. ^ Root, Jay (November 6, 2014). "Wendy Davis Lost Badly. Here's How it Happened". The Washington Post. The Texas Tribune. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  64. ^ Svitek, Patrick (January 12, 2017). "Greg Abbott Builds Big War Chest Ahead of 2018". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  65. ^ a b Peggy Fikac, "Abbott adds $9 million to campaign war chest", San Antonio Express-News, January 13, 2017, p. A4
  66. ^ Whitely, Jason (January 22, 2017). "Abbott to Run for Re-Election, Explains Position on Bathroom Bill". WFAA. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  67. ^ Jeffers, Gromer Jr. (March 28, 2017). "Gov. Greg Abbott Remains Coy About 'Bathroom Bill,' Says He'll Run for Re-Election". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  68. ^ Root, Jay (July 14, 2017). "With No Opposition in Sight, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Formally Launches 2018 Re-Election Bid". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
  69. ^ Peggy Fikac, "Abbott to seek second term: Governor says in S.A. he's ready to fight liberals," San Antonio Express-News, July 15, 2017, pp 1, A2.
  70. ^ Zdun, Matt; Collier, Kiah (November 6, 2018). "Gov. Greg Abbott clinches second term as GOP wins closest statewide races in 20 years". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  71. ^ Samuels, Brett (November 6, 2018). "Texas governor Greg Abbott wins reelection". The Hill. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  72. ^ Garrett, Robert T. (November 6, 2018). "For Gov. Greg Abbott, a victory, though not the towering one he'd hoped for over Lupe Valdez". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  73. ^ Weber, Paul J. (November 6, 2018). "No surprise here: Greg Abbott easily defeats Lupe Valdez, re-elected as Texas governor". Fort Worth Star-Telegram (from the Associated Press). Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  74. ^ Sanchez, Carlos (November 6, 2018). "Greg Abbott Wins a Second Term as Governor". Texas Monthly. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  75. ^ Manuel, Obed (April 29, 2019). "More Texas Latinos voted in 2018, but so did everyone else, census data shows". Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas. Retrieved April 29, 2019. 'In spite of the Democrats increasing their election turnout, we were able to grow our turnout as well, and do so enough that for the 12th election in a row, every single statewide office was retained by Republicans,' James Dickey said. He added that Latino voters, 42 percent of whom voted for Abbott, will continue playing a key role for the Texas GOP.
  76. ^ Tilove, Jonathan (June 14, 2019). "Tilove: Abbott says Biden will fade and Trump will win Texas". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved February 25, 2021. He said he plans to run for a third term in 2022.
  77. ^ Svitek, Patrick (May 10, 2021). "Republican former state Sen. Don Huffines launches primary challenge to Gov. Greg Abbott". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  78. ^ Svitek, Patrick (March 2, 2022). "Greg Abbott, Beto O'Rourke easily win gubernatorial primaries, setting up November race". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  79. ^ Svitek, Patrick (July 4, 2021). "Allen West announces he is running against Gov. Greg Abbott in Republican primary". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  80. ^ Svitek, Partick (November 15, 2021). "Beto O'Rourke says he's running for Texas governor". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  81. ^ Svitek, Patrick (July 8, 2021). "Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has colossal $55 million war chest for 2022 reelection bid". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  82. ^ Lau, Carla Astudillo, Caroline Covington and Eric (July 20, 2022). "Greg Abbott and Beto O'Rourke broke fundraising records in their race for Texas governor. Here's how much". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved March 6, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  83. ^ "2022 US Governor Election Results: Live Map". ABC News. November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  84. ^ Fernandez, Manny (January 20, 2015). "Texas' New Governor Echoes the Plans of Perry". The New York Times. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  85. ^ Whitely, Jason (January 20, 2015). "Abbott, Patrick Sworn in as new Texas Leaders" January 24, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. WFAA.com. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  86. ^ "Greg Abbott's election in Texas opens possibilities for disabled". USA Today. November 5, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  87. ^ "Greg Abbott and the new politics of disability". Austin American-Statesman. September 24, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  88. ^ Root, Jay (November 5, 2014). "Abbott Crushes Davis in GOP Sweep". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  89. ^ "Abbott Discusses Trade With Irish Prime Minister". Texas Tribune. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  90. ^ "Texas to Move Forward With Cuts to Children's Therapy". The Texas Tribune. August 26, 2016. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  91. ^ "Citing 'irreparable injury' to kids, judge blocks deep..." mystatesman.com. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  92. ^ "Texas Republicans finalize bill that would enact stiff new voting restrictions and make it easier to overturn election results". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  93. ^ Platoff, Emma (April 3, 2018). ""A Friendly Vote on the Court": How Greg Abbott's Former Employees Could Help Texas from the Federal Bench". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  94. ^ Patrick Svitek, Donald Trump endorses Gov. Greg Abbott for reelection, Texas Tribune (June 1, 2021).
  95. ^ Abbott, Greg (2016). Broken But Unbowed. Threshold Editions. ISBN 9781501144899.
  96. ^ Helmore, Edward (November 24, 2017). "Would-be Obama assassin identified by cat hairs, authorities say". theguardian.com. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  97. ^ Grinberg, Emanuella (June 6, 2017). "Texas Special Legislative Session: What's on the Agenda". CNN. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  98. ^ "Greg Abbott: Texas Governor Revives 'Bathroom Bill' for Special Session". Fox News (from the Associated Press). June 6, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  99. ^ Svitek, Patrick (June 6, 2017). "Gov. Abbott Calls Special Session on Bathrooms, Abortion, School Finance". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  100. ^ McGaughy, Lauren (June 15, 2017). "Gov. Greg Abbott Vetoes 50 Bills, the Most Killed by a Texas Governor in a Decade". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  101. ^ Svitek, Patrick (June 15, 2017). "Abbott Vetoes 50 Bills Passed by Legislature". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  102. ^ Vertuno, Jim (March 10, 2019). "Abbott fills courts with GOP judges voters rejected". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  103. ^ Epstein, Reid J. (July 17, 2021). "In Texas, Top Two Republicans Steer Ship of State Hard to the Right". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  104. ^ Ax, Joseph; Harte, Julia (October 13, 2021). "Texas governor moves state sharply to the right ahead of 2022 election". Reuters. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  105. ^ Martinez, Marissa (September 28, 2021). "Texas politics takes over American politics". Politico. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  106. ^ Wallace, Jeremy (January 2, 2022). "In 2021, Texas politics took a sharp right turn". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  107. ^ a b Stack, Liam (November 30, 2016). "Texas Will Require Burial of Aborted Fetuses". The New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  108. ^ Perchick, Michael (December 1, 2016). "New Texas Provisions Require Burial or Cremation of Aborted Fetuses". USA Today (from KVUE). Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  109. ^ "Judge Blocks Texas Rules Requiring Burial of Fetal Remains". Fox News. December 15, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  110. ^ Evans, Marissa (January 27, 2017). "Federal Court Blocks Texas Fetal Remains Burial Rule". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  111. ^ Mekelburg, Madlin (May 26, 2017). "Sweeping Anti-Abortion Bill Heads to Gov. Greg Abbott's Desk". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  112. ^ Grasso, Samantha (June 7, 2017). "Texas Bans Common Abortion Procedure, Requires Fetal Remains Burial with New Law". The Daily Dot. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  113. ^ Gryboski, Michael (June 7, 2017). "Texas Governor Signs Abortion Dismemberment Ban Into Law". The Christian Post. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  114. ^ Young, Stephen (January 30, 2018). "Federal Judge Blocks Texas' Controversial Fetal Burial Requirement". dallasobserver.com. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  115. ^ "Judge halts Texas law requiring burial or cremation of fetal tissue". Reuters. January 29, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  116. ^ "Abortion: Texas governor signs restrictive new law". BBC News. May 19, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  117. ^ Mekelburg, Madlin. "Gov. Greg Abbott signs 'fetal heartbeat' bill banning most abortions in Texas". USA Today. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  118. ^ Schreiber, Melody (September 22, 2021). "New Texas law bans abortion-inducing drugs after seven weeks pregnancy". The Guardian. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  119. ^ Grissom, Brandi (January 8, 2016). "Texas Gov. Greg Abbott calls for Convention of States to take back states' rights". Dallas News.
  120. ^ Walters, Edgar (January 8, 2016). "Abbott Calls on States to Amend U.S. Constitution". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  121. ^ "Texas Gov. Abbott Calls for Convention on Constitution, Proposes Amendments". Fox News. January 9, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  122. ^ Peggy Fikac, "Governor seeks to crimp high court: Abbott wants constitutional convention," San Antonio Express-News, January 10, 2016, pp. A3, A4
  123. ^ Robinson, Peter (May 17, 2016). "The Texas Plan With Governor Greg Abbott". Uncommon Knowledge. Hoover Institution. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  124. ^ a b McCullough, Jolie (September 9, 2020). "Gov. Greg Abbott calls on all Texas candidates to sign pledge against police budget cuts". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  125. ^ McCullough, Jolie (September 3, 2020). "Gov. Greg Abbott considering legislation to put Austin police under state control after budget cut". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  126. ^ Garnham, Jolie McCullough and Juan Pablo (May 6, 2021). "Texas' larger cities would face financial penalties for cutting police budgets under bill approved by House". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  127. ^ a b c Eltohamy, Heidi Pérez-Moreno and Farah (June 21, 2021). "Gov. Greg Abbott vetoes criminal justice bills, legislation to protect dogs, teach kids about domestic violence". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  128. ^ a b c . Kvue.com. June 16, 2015. Archived from the original on January 6, 2016. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  129. ^ a b "At Shooting Range, Abbott Signs "Open Carry" Bill". The Texas Tribune. June 13, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  130. ^ Fernandez, Manny; Montgomery, David (December 31, 2015). "Texas Open Carry Gun Law". The New York Times. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  131. ^ . Abc13.com. June 8, 2015. Archived from the original on January 4, 2016. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  132. ^ Samuels, Alex (May 26, 2017). "Texas Governor Jokes About Shooting Reporters After Signing Gun Bill". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  133. ^ Siders, David (June 21, 2021). "'Tip of the spear': Texas governor leads revolt against Biden". POLITICO. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  134. ^ Bowden, John (November 7, 2017). "Texas governor says church shooting should be put in context of Nazism, other horrific events". The Hill. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  135. ^ Feldman, Ari (November 9, 2017). "ADL Slams Texas Gov For Saying Mass Shooting Not As Bad As Hitler". Forward. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  136. ^ Ward, Mike (November 9, 2017). "Anti-Defamation League criticizes Abbott over 'Hitler' remark". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  137. ^ Greenwood, Max (May 18, 2018). "Texas gov calls for action after shooting: 'We need to do more than just pray'". Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  138. ^ Montgomery, Dave; Fernandez, Manny (May 22, 2018). "Texas Governor Gathers Leaders to Talk Gun Violence: 'What Are We Going to Do to Prevent This?'". The New York Times. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  139. ^ Oppel, Richard A., Jr (May 30, 2018). "Texas Governor's School Safety Plan: More Armed Guards, No Big Gun Controls". The New York Times. Retrieved August 4, 2019.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  140. ^ a b Vertuno, Jim (June 6, 2019). "Texas governor signs bill allowing more armed teachers". Associated Press. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  141. ^ McArdle, Mairead (June 6, 2019). "Texas Governor Signs Bill Allowing More Armed Teachers". National Review. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  142. ^ a b Alex Samuels, Gov. Greg Abbott lays out response to El Paso shooting but won't commit to special session, Texas Tribune (August 15, 2019).
  143. ^ "Texans can carry handguns without a license or training starting Sept. 1, after Gov. Greg Abbott signs permitless carry bill into law". Texas Tribune. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  144. ^ "Where AR-15-style rifles fit in America's tragic history of mass shootings". NPR.org. May 26, 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  145. ^ "Texas school shooting: Gunman walked in 'with handgun, possibly a rifle'; Biden was aboard Air Force One when rampage happened". Sky News. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  146. ^ Hooper, Kelly (May 25, 2022). "'You are doing nothing': O'Rourke accosts Abbott at press conference on shooting". Politico. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  147. ^ "Gov. Greg Abbott delivers remarks at 2022 NRA Convention in Houston". Fox 26 Youtube. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  148. ^ "Texas Republican decries 'pandering to idiots'". MSNBC. May 2015.
  149. ^ "Greg Abbott Tells Texas National Guard to Monitor U.S. Military Exercises". U.S. News & World Report.
  150. ^ "Texas Governor Deploys State Guard To Stave Off Obama Takeover". NPR. May 2, 2015.
  151. ^ "Former GOP lawmaker blisters Abbott for 'pandering to idiots' over military exercises". Trail Blazers Blog.
  152. ^ Pollock, Cassandra; Samuels, Alex (May 3, 2018). "Hysteria over Jade Helm exercise in Texas was fueled by Russians, former CIA director says". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  153. ^ Crampton, Liz (June 11, 2015). "Abbott Signs "Pastor Protection Act" Into Law". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  154. ^ a b Svitek, Patrick (May 21, 2017). "Abbott Signs Bill Protecting Sermons from Subpoenas". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  155. ^ "Abbott Signs Bill Preventing Government From Subpoenaing Sermons". CBS DFW. May 21, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  156. ^ Evans, Marissa (June 15, 2017). "Abbott OKs Religious Refusal of Adoptions in Texas". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  157. ^ Herskovitz, Jon (June 15, 2017). "Texas governor approves adoption bill that critics contend discriminates". Reuters. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  158. ^ Watkins, Matthew (June 22, 2017). "Citing Religious Refusal of Adoption Rule, California Bans State Travel to Texas". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  159. ^ Ford, Matt (June 16, 2016). "Texas Loses Its Syrian Refugee Lawsuit". The Atlantic. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  160. ^ "Texas Gov. Abbott Cuts Funding to Austin Over Sanctuary City Policies". Fox News. February 2, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  161. ^ Svitek, Patrick (February 2, 2017). "In "Sanctuary" Fight, Abbott Cuts Off Funding to Travis County". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  162. ^ "Texas Governor Signs Bill Targeting Sanctuary Cities". Fox News. May 7, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  163. ^ Carter, Brandon (May 7, 2017). "Texas Governor Signs Law Banning Sanctuary Cities". The Hill. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  164. ^ Cobler, Nicole. "Gov. Greg Abbott says Texas won't accept refugees in 2020". USA TODAY. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  165. ^ Burke, Daniel (January 13, 2020). "Every Catholic Bishop in Texas is Slamming Gov. Abbott's decision to bar refugees". CNN. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  166. ^ Barragán, Heidi Pérez-Moreno and James (June 17, 2021). "Critics denounce Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick's "invasion" rhetoric on immigration, saying it will incite violence". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  167. ^ "PolitiFact - Abbott exaggerates COVID-19 concerns about migrants entering US". PolitiFact. March 11, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  168. ^ "Gov. Greg Abbott orders Texas child-care regulators to yank licenses of facilities housing immigrant kids". Dallas News. June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  169. ^ Guzman, Joseph (June 17, 2021). "Texas governor unveils $250M for 'hundreds of miles' of new border wall". The Hill. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
  170. ^ Choi, Joseph (June 15, 2021). "Abbott says he'll solicit public donations for border wall". The Hill. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
  171. ^ Findell, Elizabeth (July 22, 2021). "Texas Arrests Migrants Crossing the U.S. Border for Trespassing". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  172. ^ Jenkins, Cameron (July 23, 2021). "Texas begins arresting migrants for trespassing". The Hill. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  173. ^ Jenkins, Cameron (July 28, 2021). "Texas governor orders National Guard to arrest migrants". The Hill. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  174. ^ Barragán, James (July 27, 2021). "Gov. Greg Abbott orders Texas National Guard to help with migrant arrests at the border". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  175. ^ Castronuovo, Celine (July 29, 2021). "Texas governor restricts transportation of migrants who 'pose a risk of carrying COVID-19' into communities". The Hill. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  176. ^ Sheehey, Maeve (July 28, 2021). "Abbott aims to restrict immigrant travel through Texas, citing rising Covid-19 infections". Politico. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  177. ^ Dima, Jake (July 28, 2021). "Texas Gov. Abbott clamps down on migrant transports to stop COVID-19 spread in communities". Washington Examiner. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  178. ^ McCullough, Jolie (September 27, 2021). "Migrants arrested by Texas in border crackdown are being imprisoned for weeks without legal help or formal charges". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  179. ^ Aitken, Peter (December 18, 2021). "Texas Gov. Abbott shows completed section of state-made border wall, pledges to protect state's sovereignty". Fox News.
  180. ^ "Governor Abbott threatens to bus migrants from Texas to US Capitol". www.cbsnews.com. April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  181. ^ Amir Vera and Amy Simonson (April 7, 2022). "Texas to send buses of undocumented immigrants to US capital if they're willing to go, Gov. Greg Abbott says". CNN. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  182. ^ Moritz, John. "Policy to bus migrants to Washington is voluntary, but Gov. Abbott did not initially make that clear". El Paso Times. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  183. ^ Arelis Hernandez, Maria Sachetti (April 13, 2022). "First busload of migrants from Texas arrives in D.C." The Washington Post. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  184. ^ Bernal, Rafael (April 14, 2022). "Second bus drops off migrants near Capitol". The Hill. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  185. ^ "Greg Abbott faces fire for busing migrants to DC: 'This is kidnapping'". The Independent. April 13, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  186. ^ "Psaki: It's 'Nice' of Texas to Send Busloads of Illegal Immigrants to D.C." National Review. April 13, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  187. ^ "G.O.P. Governors Cause Havoc by Busing Migrants to East Coast". The New York Times. August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  188. ^ Osío Cabrices, Rafael (September 15, 2022). "Using Migrants as a Political Weapon". Caracas Chronicles. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  189. ^ "Texas envía otro bus con migrantes venezolanos a la residencia de Kamala Harris". EFE (in Spanish). Efecto Cocuyo. September 17, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  190. ^ "Texas Governor orders 'enhanced' commercial vehicle inspections at border, admits traffic will 'dramatically slow'". CDL Life. April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  191. ^ Reiley, Laura (April 13, 2022). "White House, truckers blast Tex. as inspections snarl Mexico traffic". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  192. ^ Diaz, Lizbeth; Hesson, Ted (April 12, 2022). "Trucker protests expand at U.S.-Mexico border over lengthy wait times". Reuters. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  193. ^ Reiley, Laura (April 15, 2022). "Texas Gov. Abbott reverses course on truck inspections at Mexico border". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  194. ^ Garcia, Ariana (April 22, 2022). "Gov. Greg Abbott truck inspections turned up zero drugs, migrants but cost Texas $4.2 billion". Laredo Morning Times. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  195. ^ "FEMA's Climate Change Carrot to Texas". texasmonthly.com. March 24, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  196. ^ . statesman.com. Archived from the original on August 26, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  197. ^ Davenport, Coral; Davis, Julie Hirschfeld (August 3, 2015). "Move to Fight Obama's Climate Plan Started Early". The New York Times. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  198. ^ Dennis, Brady; Mooney, Chris (December 8, 2016). "Pruitt, Trump's EPA pick, has both sides of climate divide girding for a major fight". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  199. ^ "Texas report says 'changing climate' intensifying disasters". Associated Press. December 13, 2018. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  200. ^ Svitek, Patrick (January 28, 2021). "Gov. Greg Abbott says he'll fight Joe Biden's energy and climate agenda". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  201. ^ Contreras, Guillermo; Morris, Allie (June 5, 2019). "DPS emails show Texas governor pressed for voter purge that used flawed data". Houston Chronicle. from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  202. ^ Despart, Zach (October 1, 2020). "Gov. Abbott forces Harris County to close 11 mail ballot drop-off sites". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  203. ^ Platoff, Emma (October 1, 2020). "Gov. Greg Abbott orders counties to reduce ballot dropoff locations, bolstering GOP efforts to limit absentee voting options". The Texas Tribune. from the original on October 4, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  204. ^ Svitek, Patrick (September 23, 2021). "Texas Republicans sue to stop Gov. Greg Abbott's extension of early voting period during the pandemic". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  205. ^ Svitek, Patrick (February 1, 2021). "Gov. Greg Abbott unveils legislative priorities, including police funding, "election integrity," expanding broadband access and more". The Texas Tribune. Abbott's prioritization of election security comes three months following a November election after which top Texas Republicans, including U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Attorney General Ken Paxton, played central roles in fueling former President Donald Trump's baseless claims of widespread fraud. Those conspiracies led to a violent siege on the U.S. Capitol the day Congress met to certify the results last month. Abbott was among the Republicans who did not immediately recognize Biden's victory after major news outlets declared him the winner, and he was later supportive of Paxton's unsuccessful lawsuit challenging the results in four battleground states.
  206. ^ Multiple sources:
    • Ura, Alexa (May 7, 2021). "Texas GOP's voting restrictions bill could be rewritten behind closed doors after final House passage". The Texas Tribune. But both the original SB 7 and the original provisions of HB 6 were opposed by civil rights groups who raised the prospect that the legislation violates federal safeguards for voters of color. Republicans' efforts to further restrict voting in the state come as their presidential margins of victory continue to thin and Democrats drive up their votes in diverse urban centers and growing suburban communities.
    • Ura, Alexa (March 22, 2021). "Texas Republicans begin pursuing new voting restrictions as they work to protect their hold on power". The Texas Tribune. Senate Bill 7 is part of a broader package of proposals to constrain local initiatives widening voter access in urban areas, made up largely by people of color, that favor Democrats.
    • "New GOP-led voting restrictions move forward in Texas". CBS News/AP. April 1, 2021. The bill is one of two major voting packages in Texas that mirrors a nationwide campaign by Republicans after former President Donald Trump made false claims about election fraud. Voting rights groups say the measures would disproportionately impact racial and ethnic minority voters.
    • Wines, Michael (April 1, 2021). "Texas lawmakers advance a bill that would make voting more difficult, drawing comparisons to Georgia". The New York Times. Critics of the Senate bill said most of its provisions were less about making voting secure than about making it harder, particularly for urban voters and minority voters, two groups that tend to vote for Democrats.
    • Barragán, James (April 1, 2021). "In overnight vote, Texas Senate passes bill that would make it harder to vote". Dallas Morning News. [President of the Texas Civil Rights Project] said many of the bill's provisions would disproportionately affect voters of color. The extended voting hours in Harris County, for example, were mostly used by voters of color. Fifty-six percent of voters who cast ballots in late night hours were Black, Hispanic or Asian, according to the Texas Civil Rights Project.
    • Coronado, Acacia (May 30, 2021). "EXPLAINER: How Texas Republicans aim to make voting harder". Associated Press. Advocates say the changes would disproportionately affect minorities and people with disabilities.
    • Gardner, Amy (May 30, 2021). "How the new Texas voting bill would create hurdles for voters of color". Washington Post. While Senate Bill 7 would have wide-ranging effects on voters across the state, it includes specific language that critics say would disproportionately affect people of color — particularly those who live in under-resourced and urban communities.
  207. ^ Schnell, Mychael (July 13, 2021). "Abbott says Democratic lawmakers will be arrested when they return to Texas". The Hill. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  208. ^ SLODYSKO, PAUL J. WEBER, ACACIA CORONADO and BRIAN (July 13, 2021). "Republican Gov. Greg Abbott threatens to arrest Texas Democrats who fled state before vote on new election laws". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved April 14, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  209. ^ Barragán, James (August 10, 2021). "Texas Supreme Court allows for arrest of Democrats who don't show up to Legislature". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  210. ^ Goodman, J. David (October 21, 2021). "Texas Governor Appoints Former Trump Lawyer to Oversee Election Review". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  211. ^ Svitek, James Barragán and Patrick (October 21, 2021). "Gov. Greg Abbott's pick for top Texas election post worked with Trump to fight 2020 results". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  212. ^ a b Langford, Eli Okun and Terri (August 7, 2014). "GOP Lawmakers Make Case for Upholding Same-Sex Marriage Ban". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  213. ^ a b "Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Nationwide Marriage Equality". BuzzFeed News. June 27, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  214. ^ Ura, Alexa (October 28, 2016). "Texas Republicans want to narrow scope of same-sex marriage ruling". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  215. ^ McGaughy, Lauren, "Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott: Don't pass discriminatory laws", Dallas News, May 28, 2017, retrieved June 19. 2017
  216. ^ "Greg Abbott: Texas governor revives 'bathroom bill' for special session," Fox News via Associated Press, June 6, 2017, retrieved June 19, 2017.
  217. ^ Platoff, Emma (March 13, 2018). "Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Opposed Controversial "Bathroom Bill," State Legislator Says". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  218. ^ "Texas governor says 'bathroom bill' no longer on his agenda". Reuters. September 28, 2018.
  219. ^ "Texas governor signs anti-LGBT 'religious freedom' adoption bill". Washington Blade: Gay News, Politics, LGBT Rights. June 15, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  220. ^ Scherer, Jasper (October 12, 2021). "Prompted by Abbott challenger, Texas agency removes webpage with suicide hotline for LGBTQ youths". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  221. ^ Lindell, Chuck. "Abbott orders state agency to treat gender-affirming care as child abuse". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  222. ^ "Texas governor directs state agencies to investigate gender-affirming care for trans youths as 'child abuse'". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  223. ^ Ghorayshi, Azeen (February 23, 2022). "Texas Governor Pushes to Investigate Medical Treatments for Trans Youth as 'Child Abuse'". The New York Times. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  224. ^ Sanders, Austin (June 21, 2019). "Council Bites the Bullet, Helps the Homeless". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  225. ^ Bova, Gus (November 1, 2019). "Greg Abbott vs. Austin's Homeless". Texas Observer. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  226. ^ Bova, Gus (December 20, 2019). "Greg Abbott's 'Indefinite,' Imperfect Homeless Camp". Texas Observer. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  227. ^ McCullough, Jolie (July 18, 2019). "Texas leaders: Hemp law did not decriminalize marijuana". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  228. ^ a b c "Gov. Greg Abbott Urges Texas DAs Against Dropping Misdemeanor Marijuana Possession Cases". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. July 18, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  229. ^ "Gov. Abbott, Texas leaders urge prosecutors to keep enforcing pot laws". FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth. July 18, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  230. ^ "Survey of Texas Voters" (PDF). August 1, 2022.
  231. ^ Goldenstein, Taylor (April 2, 2020). "Gov. Greg Abbott's statewide stay-home order, explained". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  232. ^ a b c d e f g h Fernandez, Manny; Mervosh, Sarah (June 25, 2020). "Texas Pauses Reopening as Virus Cases Soar Across the South and West". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  233. ^ "Coronavirus: Texas governor mandates wearing of face masks". BBC News. July 3, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  234. ^ Livingston, Juan Pablo Garnham and Abby (January 1, 2021). "Greg Abbott and Ken Paxton tell Austin restaurants to defy COVID-19 order banning overnight dine-in services". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  235. ^ Aguirre, Priscilla (December 30, 2020). "Gov. Greg Abbott says Austin's new dine-in restrictions are not allowed. Period". mySA. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  236. ^ "Texas and Mississippi to lift mask mandates and roll back Covid restrictions". NBC News. March 2, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  237. ^ "Texas governor bans mandated COVID-19 "vaccine passports"". CBS News. April 6, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  238. ^ Harper, Karen Brooks (June 7, 2021). "Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill to punish businesses that require proof of COVID-19 vaccination". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  239. ^ "Gov. Abbott bans mask mandates in Texas public schools, cities and counties". Houston Chronicle. May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  240. ^ "Texas governor tests positive for COVID-19, in 'good health'". Associated Press. August 17, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  241. ^ Schneider, Avie (August 17, 2021). "Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Tests Positive For The Coronavirus". NPR. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  242. ^ Svitek, Patrick (August 6, 2021). "As coronavirus rages again in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott resists statewide action, hamstrings local leaders". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  243. ^ Sabawi, Fares (July 29, 2021). "Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's new order bans local governments from issuing mask, vaccine mandates". KSAT. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  244. ^ Wallace, Jeremy (July 28, 2021). "As COVID hospitalizations surge past 5,000, Gov. Abbott renews call for 'personal responsibility'". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  245. ^ Saul, Stephanie (August 12, 2021). "Campuses Are Virus Incubators, but These Colleges Can't Require Vaccines". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  246. ^ Towey, Robert (July 29, 2021). "Texas Gov. Abbott threatens fines again against local officials and businesses that enforce mask mandates, vaccine requirements". CNBC. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  247. ^ Office of the Governor (July 29, 2021). "Executive Order GA-38" (PDF). Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  248. ^ Scherer, Jasper (July 29, 2021). "As delta variant spreads, Abbott bans local COVID restrictions in areas with high hospitalization rates". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  249. ^ whitehouse.gov: Remarks by President Biden on Fighting the COVID-⁠19 Pandemic August 3, 2021. (Question: "Q Mr. President, do you believe that Governor DeSantis and Governor Abbott are personally making decisions that are harming their own citizens?" Biden: "I believe the results of their decisions are not good for their constituents. And it's clear to me and to most of the medical experts that the decisions being made, like not allowing mask mandates in school and the like, are bad health policy — bad health policy.")
  250. ^ Lopez, Joshua Fechter and Brian (August 17, 2021). "Confusion reigns in Texas as legal fight over mask mandates rages between local officials and Gov. Greg Abbott". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  251. ^ Svitek, Patrick (August 25, 2021). "Gov. Greg Abbott bans government mandates on COVID-19 vaccines regardless of whether they have full FDA approval". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  252. ^ "Texas Gov. Greg Abbott bans vaccine mandates by any entity". Axios. 2021.
  253. ^ Sanchez, Carolina (February 16, 2021). "As millions lose power, Texas Gov. Abbott declares ERCOT reform an emergency item". FOX 26 Houston. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  254. ^ a b c Englund, Will (February 16, 2021). "The Texas grid got crushed because its operators didn't see the need to prepare for cold weather". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  255. ^ Shepherd, Katie (February 17, 2021). "Rick Perry says Texans would accept even longer power outages 'to keep the federal government out of their business'". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  256. ^ Lopez, Oscar (February 18, 2021). "Mexico Cries Foul at Natural Gas Cutoff Ordered by Texas Governor". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  257. ^ Zou, Isabella (June 8, 2021). "Texas power generation companies will have to better prepare for extreme weather under bills Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  258. ^ a b "Cecilia Abbott". gregabbott.com/. Greg Abbott for Governor. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
  259. ^ a b c Ura, Alexa (March 16, 2014). "Unknown to Most, Cecilia Abbott Could Make History". The Texas Tribune. Austin, Texas. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
  260. ^ "'Words Matter.' On Ted Nugent, Greg Abbott and the 'subhuman mongrel' who is president of the United States". Statesman.com. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  261. ^ "New first lady of Texas advocates for Hispanic population". November 6, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  262. ^ Accident set Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott on a path toward politics, May 31, 2010, The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved October 27, 2010
  263. ^ Fernandez, Manny. "Candidate Draws Support and Critics for Talk of Disability" July 22, 2013. The New York Times.
  264. ^ Ackerman, Todd. "Houston rehab giant ready for Giffords." Houston Chronicle. January 20, 2011
  265. ^ a b Root, Jay (August 2, 2013). "For the First Time, Abbott Discusses Details of His Lawsuit Settlement". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  266. ^ Thorburn, Wayne (November 17, 2014). "How the Democrats Lost Texas". Politico. Washington, D.C. Retrieved November 18, 2014. According to the NBC exit poll, Abbott and Davis split the 18- to 29-year-old cohort evenly, while married women went 62 percent for Abbott (he received 54 percent from all female voters), and a near-record 44 percent of Hispanics cast their ballots for the Republican gubernatorial candidate.
  267. ^ Hoppe, Christy (November 5, 2014). "Greg Abbott tops Wendy Davis in Texas governor's race". Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  268. ^ Carney, Dave (February 6, 2015). "How We Won Texas". Politico. Washington, D.C. Retrieved February 7, 2015. The exit polls showed Greg Abbott won 54 percent of women, 50 percent of Hispanic men and won 44 percent of Hispanics overall—all of which are traditionally strong Democratic groups.
  269. ^ "Election Results". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  270. ^ "2018 General Election". Politico. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  271. ^ . Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2007.
  272. ^ a b c d . Archived from the original on November 8, 2006.

Further reading

  • Gonzalez, John W. "Abbott has friends and foes in disabled community." Houston Chronicle. July 29, 2013.

External links

 
Wikiquote has quotations related to Greg Abbott.
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gregory Abbott.
  • Governor Greg Abbott Official state website
  • Official website
  • Greg Abbott at Curlie
  • Appearances on C-SPAN
Legal offices
Preceded by Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court
1995–2001 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Attorney General of Texas
2002–2015 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Governor of Texas
2014, 2018, 2022 		Most recent
Preceded by Chair of the Republican Governors Association
2019–2020 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Texas
2015–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Vice President Order of precedence of the United States
Within Texas 		Succeeded by
Mayor of city
in which event is held
Succeeded by
Preceded byas Governor of Florida Order of precedence of the United States
Outside Texas 		Succeeded byas Governor of Iowa

October 14, 2023
greg, abbott, this, article, about, politician, other, people, with, same, name, disambiguation, gregory, wayne, abbott, born, november, 1957, american, politician, attorney, former, jurist, serving, 48th, governor, texas, since, 2015, member, republican, part. This article is about the politician For other people with the same name see Greg Abbott disambiguation Gregory Wayne Abbott born November 13 1957 is an American politician attorney and former jurist serving as the 48th governor of Texas since 2015 A member of the Republican Party he served as the 50th attorney general of Texas from 2002 to 2015 and as a member of the Texas Supreme Court from 1996 to 2001 Greg AbbottAbbott in 201548th Governor of TexasIncumbentAssumed office January 20 2015LieutenantDan PatrickPreceded byRick PerryChair of the Republican Governors AssociationIn office November 21 2019 December 9 2020Preceded byPete RickettsSucceeded byDoug Ducey50th Attorney General of TexasIn office December 2 2002 January 5 2015GovernorRick PerryPreceded byJohn CornynSucceeded byKen PaxtonAssociate Justice of the Supreme Court of TexasIn office January 2 1996 June 6 2001 1 Appointed byGeorge W BushPreceded byJack HightowerSucceeded byXavier RodriguezPersonal detailsBornGregory Wayne Abbott 1957 11 13 November 13 1957 age 65 Wichita Falls Texas U S Political partyRepublicanSpouseCecilia Phalen m 1981 wbr Children1ResidenceGovernor s MansionEducationUniversity of Texas at Austin BBA Vanderbilt University JD SignatureWebsiteGovernment websiteAbbott was the third Republican to serve as attorney general of Texas since the Reconstruction era He was elected to that office with 57 of the vote in 2002 and reelected with 60 in 2006 and 64 in 2010 becoming the longest serving Texas attorney general in state history with 12 years of service Before becoming attorney general Abbott was a justice of the Texas Supreme Court a position to which he was appointed in 1995 by then governor George W Bush Abbott won a full term in 1998 with 60 of the vote As attorney general he successfully advocated for the Texas State Capitol to display the Ten Commandments in the 2005 U S Supreme Court case Van Orden v Perry and unsuccessfully defended the state s ban on same sex marriage He was involved in numerous lawsuits against the Barack Obama administration seeking to invalidate the Affordable Care Act and the administration s environmental regulations Elected in 2014 Abbott is the first Texas governor and third governor of a U S state to use a wheelchair the others being Franklin D Roosevelt and George Wallace As governor Abbott supported the Donald Trump administration and has promoted a conservative agenda including measures against abortion such as the Texas Heartbeat Act lenient gun laws opposition to illegal immigration support for law enforcement funding and election reform In response to the power crisis following a February 2021 winter storm Abbott called for reforms to Electric Reliability Council of Texas ERCOT and signed a bill requiring power plant weatherization During the COVID 19 pandemic in Texas Abbott opposed implementing face mask and vaccine mandates while blocking local governments businesses and other organizations from implementing their own Contents 1 Early life education and legal career 2 Judicial career 3 Attorney General of Texas 3 1 2002 election 3 2 Tenure 3 2 1 Lawsuit against Sony BMG 3 2 2 Separation of church and state 3 2 3 Guns 3 2 4 Tort reform 3 2 5 Support for ban on sex toys 3 2 6 Opposition to same sex marriage 3 2 7 2006 election 3 2 8 2010 election 4 Gubernatorial elections 4 1 2014 4 2 2018 election 4 3 2022 election 4 4 2026 election 5 Tenure as governor 5 1 Abortion 5 2 Convention of States proposal 5 3 Criminal justice 5 4 Firearms 5 5 Jade Helm 15 5 6 Religion 5 7 Immigration 5 8 Border issues 5 9 Environment 5 10 Voting rights 5 11 LGBT rights 5 12 Homelessness 5 13 Marijuana 5 14 COVID 19 pandemic 5 15 February 2021 North American ice storm 6 Personal life 6 1 Wheelchair use 7 Electoral history 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External linksEarly life education and legal careerAbbott was born on November 13 1957 in Wichita Falls Texas of English descent 2 His mother Doris Lechristia Jacks Abbott was a housewife and his father Calvin Rodger Abbott was a stockbroker and insurance agent 3 4 When he was six years old they moved to Longview the family lived there for six years 3 When he was 12 Abbott s family moved to Duncanville In his sophomore year in high school his father died of a heart attack his mother went to work in a real estate office 3 Abbott graduated from Duncanville High School 5 where he was on the track team 6 in the National Honor Society and was voted Most Likely to Succeed 6 In 1981 Abbott earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from the University of Texas at Austin where he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity and the Young Republicans Club He met his wife Cecilia Phalen while attending UT Austin 3 The two married in 1981 7 In 1984 he earned his Juris Doctor degree from the Vanderbilt University Law School 3 Abbott went into private practice working for Butler and Binion LLP between 1984 and 1992 8 Judicial careerAbbott s judicial career began in Houston where he served as a state trial judge in the 129th District Court for three years 8 Then Governor George W Bush appointed Abbott to the Texas Supreme Court he was then twice elected to the state s highest civil court in 1996 two year term and in 1998 six year term In 1996 Abbott had no Democratic opponent but was challenged by Libertarian John B Hawley of Dallas Abbott defeated Hawley 84 to 16 9 In 1998 Abbott defeated Democrat David Van Os 60 to 40 10 In 2001 after resigning from the Supreme Court Abbott returned to private practice and worked for Bracewell amp Giuliani LLC 11 He was also an adjunct professor at University of Texas School of Law 12 Attorney General of Texas nbsp Greg Abbott talks about the Harriet Miers nomination with President George W Bush and former Texas Supreme Court Justices in 2005 From left Eugene Cook Raul Gonzalez Abbott John Hill James Baker Bush and Craig Enoch nbsp Abbott and John Cornyn highlight Crime Stoppers Month in San Antonio 20082002 election Abbott resigned from the Texas Supreme Court in 2001 to run for lieutenant governor of Texas 3 He had been campaigning for several months when the previous attorney general John Cornyn vacated the post to run for the U S Senate 3 Abbott then switched his campaign to the open attorney general s position in 2002 He defeated the Democratic nominee former Austin mayor and former state senator 13 Kirk Watson 57 to 41 14 Abbott was sworn in on December 2 2002 following Cornyn s election to the Senate Tenure Abbott expanded the attorney general s office s law enforcement division from about 30 people to more than 100 3 He also created a new division the Fugitive Unit to track down convicted sex offenders in violation of their paroles or probations 3 In 2003 Abbott supported the Texas Legislature s move to cap non economic damages for medical malpractice cases at 250 000 with no built in increases for rising cost of living 15 In a 2013 speech to fellow Republicans when asked what his job entails Abbott said I go into the office in the morning I sue Barack Obama and then I go home 16 Abbott filed 31 lawsuits against the Obama administration 17 including suits against the Environmental Protection Agency the U S Department of Health and Human Services including challenges to the Affordable Care Act Obamacare and the U S Department of Education among many others 3 According to The Wall Street Journal from Abbott s tenure as attorney general through his first term as governor Texas sued the Obama administration at least 44 times more than any other state over the same period court challenges included carbon emission standards health care reform transgender rights and others 18 The Dallas Morning News compared Abbott to Scott Pruitt noting that both attorneys general had repeatedly sued the federal government over its environmental regulations 19 The Houston Chronicle noted that Abbott led the charge against Obama era climate regulations 20 Abbott has said that the state must not release Tier II Chemical Inventory Reports for security reasons but that Texans can ask every facility whether they have chemicals or not 21 Koch Industries has denied that its contributions to Abbott s campaign had anything to do with his ruling against releasing the safety information 22 In March 2014 Abbott filed a motion to intervene on behalf of Baylor Scott amp White Medical Center Plano in three federal lawsuits against the hospital brought by patients who alleged that the hospital allowed Christopher Duntsch to perform neurosurgery despite knowing that he was a dangerous physician 23 Abbott cited the Texas legislature s cap on malpractice cases and the statute s removal of the term gross negligence from the definition of legal malice as reasons for defending Baylor 24 In the late 2000s Abbott established a unit in the attorney general s office to pursue voter fraud prosecutions using a 1 4 million federal grant the unit prosecuted a few dozen cases resulting in small fines and little or no jail time 25 The office found no large scale fraud that could change the outcome of any election 25 Lawsuit against Sony BMG Main article Sony BMG CD copy protection scandal In late 2005 Abbott sued Sony BMG 26 27 Texas was the first state in the nation to bring legal action against Sony BMG for illegal spyware 26 27 The suit is also the first filed under the state s spyware law of 2005 26 27 It alleges the company surreptitiously installed the spyware on millions of compact music discs CDs that consumers inserted into their computers when they played the CDs which can compromise the systems 27 28 On December 21 2005 Abbott added new allegations to his lawsuit against Sony BMG He said the MediaMax copy protection technology violated Texas s spyware and deceptive trade practices laws 26 29 Sony BMG offered consumers a licensing agreement when they bought CDs and played them on their computers 26 29 in the lawsuit brought under the Consumer Protection Against Computer Spyware Act of 2005 and other laws Abbott alleged that even if consumers rejected that agreement spyware was secretly installed on their computers posing security risks for music buyers and deceiving Texas purchasers 26 29 30 Sony settled the Texas lawsuit as well as a similar suit brought by California s attorney general for 1 5 million 31 Separation of church and state Main article Van Orden v Perry In March 2005 Abbott delivered oral argument before the United States Supreme Court on behalf of Texas defending a Ten Commandments monument on grounds of the Texas State Capitol Thousands of similar monuments were donated to cities and towns across the nation by the Fraternal Order of Eagles who were inspired by the Cecil B DeMille film The Ten Commandments 1956 in following years 32 In his deposition Abbott said The Ten Commandments are a historically recognized system of law 33 The Supreme Court held in a 5 4 decision that the Texas display did not violate the First Amendment s Establishment Clause and was constitutional 34 After Abbott s oral arguments in Van Orden v Perry Justice John Paul Stevens commented upon Abbott s performance while in a wheelchair I want to thank you for demonstrating that it s not necessary to stand at the lectern in order to do a fine job 6 Guns As attorney general Abbott opposed gun control legislation In 2013 he criticized legislation enacted by New York State strengthening its gun regulation laws by expanding an assault weapons ban and creating a high capacity magazine ban he also said he would sue if Congress enacted a new gun control bill 35 After the law passed Abbott s political campaign placed Internet ads to users with Albany and Manhattan ZIP codes suggesting that New York gun owners should move to Texas One ad read Is Gov Cuomo looking to take your guns and the other read Wanted Law abiding New York gun owners looking for lower taxes and greater opportunity The ads linked to a letter on Facebook in which Abbott wrote that such a move would enable citizens to keep more of what you earn and use some of that extra money to buy more ammo 36 In February 2014 Abbott argued against a lawsuit brought by the National Rifle Association NRA to allow more people access to concealed carry of firearms as he felt this would disrupt public safety 37 Tort reform Abbott backed legislation in Texas to limit punitive damages stemming from noneconomic losses and noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases at 750 000 and 250 000 respectively 38 While the settlement in his own paralysis case was a nonmedical liability lawsuit which remains uncapped Abbott has faced criticism generally from Democrats who oppose the Republican backed lawsuit curbs for tilt ing the judicial scales toward civil defendants 38 Support for ban on sex toys As attorney general Abbott unsuccessfully defended Texas s ban on sex toys 39 He said Texas had a legitimate interest in discouraging prurient interests in autonomous sex and the pursuit of sexual gratification unrelated to procreation 39 Opposition to same sex marriage As attorney general Abbott defended the state s ban on same sex marriage from a constitutional challenge 40 In 2014 he argued in court that Texas should be allowed to prohibit same sex marriage because LGBT individuals cannot procreate He said that as same sex relationships do not naturally produce children recognizing same sex marriage does not further these goals to the same extent that recognizing opposite sex marriage does 39 He also argued that gay people are still free to marry saying they are as free to marry an opposite sex spouse as anyone else 39 He suggested that same sex marriage led to slippery slope where any conduct that has been traditionally prohibited can become a constitutional right simply by redefining it at a higher level of abstraction 39 2006 election In the November 7 2006 general election Abbott was challenged by civil rights attorney David Van Os who had been his Democratic opponent in the 1998 election for state Supreme Court He was reelected to a second term with 60 to Van Os s 37 41 2010 election Abbott ran for a third term in 2010 He defeated the Democratic nominee attorney Barbara Ann Radnofsky with 64 of the vote to her 34 42 He was the longest serving Texas attorney general in Texas history 43 In July 2013 the Houston Chronicle alleged improper ties and oversight between many of Abbott s largest donors and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas of which he was a director 44 Gubernatorial elections2014 Main article 2014 Texas gubernatorial election nbsp Final results by county in 2014 Greg Abbott gt 90 80 90 70 80 60 70 50 60 40 50 Wendy Davis 70 80 60 70 50 60 40 50 In July 2013 shortly after Governor Rick Perry announced that he would not seek a fourth full term 45 Abbott announced his candidacy for governor of Texas in the 2014 election 46 In the first six months of 2011 he raised more money for his campaign than any other previous Texas politician reaching 1 6 million The next highest fundraiser among state officeholders was Texas comptroller Susan Combs with 611 700 47 Abbott won the Republican primary on March 4 2014 with 91 5 of the vote He faced State Senator Wendy Davis in the general election 48 nbsp Abbott after receiving the Republican nomination in 2014Abbott promised to tie outcomes to funding for pre K programs if elected 49 but said he would not require government standardized testing for 4 year olds as Davis accused him of suggesting 50 When defending his education plan Abbott cited Charles Murray Family background has the most decisive effect on student achievement contributing to a large performance gap between children from economically disadvantaged families and those from middle class homes 51 A spokesman for Abbott s campaign pointed out that the biggest difference in spending was that Davis had proposed universal pre K education while Abbott wanted to limit state funding to programs that meet certain standards 51 Davis s plan could reach 750 million in cost and Abbott said that her plan was a budget buster whereas his education plan would cost no more than 118 million 51 Overall Abbott said the reforms he envisioned would level the playing field for all students and target schools which don t have access to the best resources He called for greater access to technology in the classroom and mathematics instruction for kindergarten pupils 52 Abbott received 1 4 million in campaign contributions from recipients of the Texas Enterprise Fund some of whose members submitted the proper paperwork for grants 53 Elliot Nagin of the Union of Concerned Scientists observed that Abbott was the recipient of large support from the fossil fuels industries such as NuStar Energy Koch Industries Valero Energy ExxonMobil Chevron and ConocoPhillips 54 Abbott was endorsed by the Fort Worth Star Telegram 55 the Dallas Morning News 56 the Lubbock Avalanche Journal 57 and the Tyler Morning Telegraph 58 He and his running mate for lieutenant governor Dan Patrick were endorsed by the National Rifle Association and received their A rating 59 Abbott defeated Davis by over 20 percentage points in the November general election 60 61 62 63 2018 election Main article 2018 Texas gubernatorial election nbsp Final results by county in 2018 Greg Abbott gt 90 80 90 70 80 60 70 50 60 40 50 Lupe Valdez 70 80 60 70 50 60 40 50 In January 2017 Abbott was reportedly raising funds for a 2018 reelection bid as governor as of December 2016 update he had 34 4 million on hand for his campaign of which he had raised 9 million during the second half of 2016 64 65 Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick had been mentioned as a potential challenger but confirmed that he would run for reelection as lieutenant governor 65 During the weekend of January 21 2017 Abbott said that he intended to run for reelection 66 He confirmed this on March 28 2017 67 Abbott formally announced his reelection campaign on July 14 2017 68 69 This came four days before the start of a special legislative session that could split the Republican Party into factions favoring Abbott and Patrick on one hand and House speaker Joe Straus on the other Straus represented the Moderate Republican faction which opposes much of the social conservative agenda Abbott and Patrick pursued In the November 6 general election Abbott defeated Democratic nominee Lupe Valdez with about 56 of the vote 70 71 72 73 having outraised her 18 to 1 74 He received 42 of the Hispanic and 16 of the African American vote 75 2022 election Main article 2022 Texas gubernatorial election nbsp Final results by county in 2022 Greg Abbott gt 90 80 90 70 80 60 70 50 60 40 50 Beto O Rourke 70 80 60 70 50 60 Abbott ran for a third term and faced challengers from within his own party 76 77 including former Texas Republican Party chair Allen West and Don Huffines 78 79 On March 1 he won the primary with over 66 of the vote He was challenged by the Democratic nominee former U S Representative Beto O Rourke 80 Abbott began with a large campaign funding advantage over his opponents but was outraised by O Rourke who raised 81 6 million to Abbott s 78 5 million 81 82 Abbott defeated O Rourke 54 to 43 becoming the fifth Texas governor to serve three terms after Allan Shivers Price Daniel John Connally and Rick Perry 83 He won 68 of Anglos 18 of African Americans and 42 of Latinos 1 2026 election Main article 2026 Texas gubernatorial election According to the Austin American Statesman advisers close to Abbott have said he has not ruled out running for a fourth term in 2026 which would make him the longest serving governor in state history with 16 years of service by January 21 2031 surpassing former governor Rick Perry s 14 years 2 Tenure as governor nbsp Abbott speaking at the 2016 World Travel and Tourism Council conferenceAbbott was sworn in as governor of Texas on January 20 2015 succeeding Rick Perry 84 85 He is the first governor of Texas and the third elected governor of a U S state to use a wheelchair after Franklin D Roosevelt of New York 1929 1932 and George Wallace of Alabama 1963 1967 1971 1979 1983 1987 86 87 88 Abbott held his first meeting as governor with a foreign prime minister when he met with the Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny on March 15 2015 to discuss trade and economic relations 89 During the 2015 legislative session initiated by officials at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission the Texas legislature placed a rider to cut 150 million from its budget by ending payments and coverage for various developmental therapies for children on Medicaid A lawsuit was filed against the state on behalf of affected families and therapy providers claiming the cut could cause irreparable damage to the affected children s development 90 The litigation obtained a temporary injunction order on September 25 2015 barring THHSC from implementing therapy rate cuts 91 During Donald Trump s presidency Abbott ardently supported Trump 92 The Trump administration appointed several former Abbott appointees to federal courts which some media outlets attributed to Abbott s influence on the administration 93 In 2021 Trump endorsed Abbott for reelection choosing him over several Republican primary rivals who also positioned themselves as pro Trump 94 Abbott s book Broken But Unbowed 2016 recounted Abbott s personal story and views on politics 95 In October 2016 explosive packages were mailed to Abbott President Obama and the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration Abbott s package did not explode when he opened it because he did not open the package as intended 96 On June 6 2017 Abbott called for a special legislative session in order to pass several of his legislative priorities 97 98 an agenda supported by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick 99 Abbott vetoed 50 bills in the regular 2017 session the most in a session since 2007 100 101 Abbott appointed multiple judges to various judgeships including several GOP affiliated judges who had recently lost local judicial elections 102 After the regular 2021 session The New York Times called Abbott and Patrick the driving force behind one of the hardest right turns in recent state history 103 Other sources said Abbott and other state officials advanced strongly conservative policies 104 105 106 Abortion In November 2016 the State of Texas at Abbott s request approved new rules that require facilities that perform abortions either to bury or cremate the aborted rather than dispose of the remains in a sanitary landfill 107 108 The rules were intended to go into effect on December 19 107 but on December 15 a federal judge blocked them from going into effect for at least one month after the Center for Reproductive Rights and other advocacy groups filed a lawsuit 109 On January 27 2017 a federal judge ruled against the law but the State of Texas vowed to appeal the ruling 110 On June 6 2017 Abbott signed a bill into law banning dismemberment and partial birth abortions and requiring either burial or cremation of the aborted 111 112 113 That law was also blocked by a federal judge the state said it would appeal 114 115 On May 18 2021 Abbott signed the Texas Heartbeat Act a six week abortion ban into law 116 117 In September 2021 he signed into law a bill preventing women from mail ordering abortion medication seven weeks into pregnancy 118 Convention of States proposal nbsp Governor Abbott with President Donald Trump during Hurricane Harvey emergencyIn 2016 Abbott spoke to the Texas Public Policy Foundation calling for a Convention of States to amend the U S Constitution In his speech he proposed the Texas Plan a series of nine new amendments to unravel the federal government s decades long power grab to impose fiscal restraints on the federal government and limit the federal government s power and jurisdiction The plan would limit the power of the federal government and expand states rights allowing the states to nullify federal law under some circumstances 119 120 On January 8 2016 Abbott called for a national constitutional convention to address what he saw as abuses by justices of the United States Supreme Court in abandoning the Constitution 121 Speaking to the Texas Public Policy Foundation Abbott said We the people have to take the lead to restore the rule of law in the United States 122 Abbott elaborated on his proposal in a public seminar at the Hoover Institute on May 17 2016 123 Criminal justice In the wake of the George Floyd protests Abbott called on candidates in the 2020 elections to back the blue 124 In response to actions by some Texas cities to redirect funding from police to social services and emergency response he threatened that the state of Texas would seize control of the local police departments 125 124 In 2021 Abbott spearheaded legislative efforts to financially penalize cities in Texas that reduce spending on police 126 In 2021 Abbott vetoed a bipartisan criminal justice bill that would have made people convicted of certain crimes before the age of 18 eligible for early parole and created panels to consider inmates age and mental status at the time of their crimes when evaluating parole eligibility 127 He also vetoed legislation to prohibit police from using statements made under hypnosis in criminal court 127 He also vetoed an animal protection bill that would have made it illegal to chain up dogs without giving them access to drinkable water and shade or shelter 127 Firearms In 2015 Abbott signed the campus carry SB 11 and the open carry HB 910 bills into law 128 The campus carry law came into effect later that year allowing licensed carrying of a concealed handgun on public college campuses with private colleges able to opt out 128 129 The open carry bill went into effect in 2016 allowing the licensed open carrying of handguns in public areas and private businesses that do not display a 30 07 sign The 30 07 sign referring to state penal code 30 07 states that a handgun may not be carried openly even by a licensed gun carrier To do so openly is considered trespassing 128 129 130 Texas is the 45th state to have open carry 131 In 2017 Abbott signed into law a bill lowering handgun carry license fees 132 In 2021 he signed into law a bill that allowed Texans to carry guns without a license 133 In an interview with Fox News following the November 5 2017 Sutherland Springs church shooting Abbott urged historical reflection and the consideration that evil had been present in earlier horrific events during the Nazi era the Middle Ages and biblical times 134 The Anti Defamation League called his comparison of the shooting to the victims of the Holocaust deeply offensive and insensitive 135 136 After the 2018 Santa Fe High School shooting Abbott said that he would consult across Texas in an attempt to prevent gun violence in schools 137 A series of round table discussions followed at the state capitol 138 In a speech to a NRA convention in Dallas almost two weeks later Abbott said The problem is not guns it s hearts without God 139 In June 2019 he signed a bill allowing for more armed teachers with school districts unrestricted as to the number they allow 140 The creation of threat assessment teams passed into law by the bill is intended to identify potentially violent students 141 Although the state legislature passed measures for students services to deal with related mental health issues proposals to adopt a red flag law failed Abbott said such a law was not necessary in the state of Texas 140 In August 2019 a gunman who had written a racist manifesto killed 22 people in a mass shooting at a Wal Mart in El Paso saying he had targeted Mexicans 142 After the shooting Abbott convened a domestic terrorism task force to look into domestic extremism but reiterated his opposition to a red flag law and rejected calls to convene a special session of the state legislature to address gun violence 142 From September 1 2021 Texans are able to carry handguns without a license or training after Abbott signed a permitless carry bill into law in June 2021 143 On May 24 2022 Abbott said that an 18 year old carrying a handgun and possibly a rifle later identified as an Daniel Defense DDM4 an AR 15 style semi automatic rifle 144 killed 19 students and 2 teachers at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde 145 On May 25 Abbott held a news conference to give further information on the shooting Gun laws were not mentioned Abbott said that mental health in the community was the root cause of the event Beto O Rourke who was running for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2022 approached the stage and said The time to stop the next shooting is right now and you are doing nothing Abbott responded that it was a time for healing and hope for the victim s families not our agendas 146 Rather than attend the annual NRA meeting on May 27 Abbott published a YouTube message He did not mention the sale of assault rifles but said that gun laws have not been effective noting that the shooter broke two gun laws the day he committed the multiple murders It is a felony to possess a gun on school property and what he did on campus is capital murder That s a crime that would have subjected him to the death penalty in Texas Abbott said 147 Jade Helm 15 See also Jade Helm 15 conspiracy theories On April 28 2015 Abbott asked the State Guard to monitor the training exercise Jade Helm 15 amid Internet fueled suspicions that the war simulation was really a hostile military takeover 148 149 150 151 In 2018 former director of the CIA and NSA Michael Hayden said that Russian intelligence organizations had propagated the conspiracy theory and that Abbott s response convinced them of the power such a misinformation campaign could have in the United States 152 Religion In 2015 Abbott signed the Pastor Protection Act which allows members of the clergy to refuse to marry same sex couples if they feel doing so violates their beliefs 153 In 2017 Abbott signed into law Senate Bill 24 preventing state or local governments from subpoenaing pastors sermons 154 155 The bill was inspired by an anti discrimination ordinance in Houston where five pastors sermons were subpoenaed 154 Also in 2017 Abbott signed House Bill 3859 which allows faith based groups working with the Texas child welfare system to deny services under circumstances that conflict with the provider s sincerely held religious beliefs Democrats and civil rights advocates said the adoption bill could allow such groups to discriminate against those who practice a different religion or who are lesbian gay bisexual or transgender and LGBT rights groups said they would challenge the bill in court 156 157 In response California added Texas to a list of states to which it banned official government travel 158 Immigration nbsp Abbott and Secretary of Homeland Security John F Kelly in a helicopter touring the Mexico United States border in 2017 In November 2015 Abbott announced that Texas would refuse Syrian refugees following the Paris terrorist attack that occurred earlier that month In December 2015 Abbott ordered the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to sue the federal government and the International Rescue Committee to block refugee settlement but a federal district court struck the lawsuit down 159 On February 1 2017 Abbott blocked funding to Travis County Texas due to its recently implemented sanctuary city policy 160 161 On May 7 2017 he signed into law Texas Senate Bill 4 targeting sanctuary cities by charging county or city officials who refuse to work with federal officials and allowing police officers to check the immigration status of those they detain 162 163 In January 2020 Abbott made Texas the first state to decline refugee resettlement under a new rule implemented by the Trump administration 164 In a joint statement all 16 Catholic bishops of Texas condemned the move 165 In 2021 Abbott referred to undocumented immigrants crossing the border as an invasion 166 In March 2021 he tweeted The Biden Administration is recklessly releasing hundreds of illegal immigrants who have COVID into Texas communities PolitiFact rated Abbott s claim Mostly False since those being released were asylum seekers with a legal right to remain in the U S and the number was well below hundreds only 108 at the time of Abbott s tweet 167 In June 2021 Abbott ordered Texas child care regulators to take the licenses of child care facilities that housed unaccompanied migrant minors He said that housing unaccompanied minors in child care facilities had a negative impact on facilities housing Texan children in foster care 168 Later that month he announced plans to build a border wall with Mexico saying that the state would provide 250 million and that direct donations from the public would be solicited 169 170 In July 2021 Abbott advised state law enforcement officers to begin arresting illegal migrants for trespassing 171 172 On July 27 2021 he ordered the National Guard to begin helping arrest migrants 173 174 and the next day he signed an order to restrict the ground transportation of migrants 175 176 177 Migrants arrested under Abbott s policy were imprisoned for weeks without legal help or formal charges 178 In 2021 Abbott announced that Texas would continue the U S Border Wall started by Donald Trump 179 The wall is the same design Trump used and is under construction On April 7 2022 Abbott announced in a press conference a plan to direct the Texas Division of Emergency Management to bus illegal immigrants with 900 charter buses from Texas to Washington D C citing the potential surge of immigrants who would cross the border after Title 42 provisions regarding communicable disease were set to be rolled back by President Biden the next month 180 Any mayor county judge or city could request buses for immigrants who had been released from federal custody 181 After initial criticism Abbott clarified that the trip would be voluntary for immigrants 182 On April 13 the first bus carrying 24 immigrants arrived in Washington D C after 30 hours 183 A second bus arrived the next day 184 Abbott came under fire for both buses with one American Enterprise Institute scholar suggesting Abbott be federally prosecuted for human trafficking Senator Ted Cruz supported Abbott s actions and advocated for more immigrants to be bused into other predominantly Democratic areas 185 In a press conference White House press secretary Jen Psaki said it was nice that Texas was helping them get to their final destination as they await the outcome of their immigration proceedings 186 Washington D C mayor Muriel Bowser responded to the influx of migrants from Texas by requesting National Guard support for what she termed a migrant crisis 187 On September 15 2022 Abbott sent two buses with 101 mostly Venezuelan migrants detained after crossing the U S border with Mexico to the residence of Vice President Kamala Harris at the Naval Observatory in Washington D C In Caracas Chronicles Rafael Osio Cabrices compared Abbott s tactics to those of Aleksander Lukashenko who provoked a migrant crisis in the European Union Eastern border as a reprisal to criticism and Fidel Castro who released common criminals and mental health patients during the 1980 Mariel boatlift and shipped them to the United States 188 On September 17 Abbott sent another bus with 50 migrants to Harris s residence 189 Border issues In early April 2022 Abbott announced that Texas would increase inspections of commercial trucks entering from Mexico with the goal of seizing illegal drugs and illegal migrants 190 Shortly thereafter the inspections caused a multi mile backup of commercial vehicles carrying produce auto parts household goods and many other items A spokesman for the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas said that up to 80 of perishable fruits and vegetables had been unable to cross and in some cases were in danger of spoiling The president of the Texas Trucking Association said the delays were affecting every kind of trucking and being felt across the country 191 Mexican truckers blockaded several bridges in protest 192 Under heavy pressure from Texas business owners who strongly criticized the secondary inspections Abbott canceled the policy on April 15 He said the reversal was because the governors of adjacent Mexican states had agreed to exercise stronger vigilance against human trafficking drugs and guns 193 Abbott s truck inspections ultimately cost Texas an estimated 4 2 billion and led to no apprehensions of drugs or illegal migrants 194 Environment nbsp Shri Dharmendra Pradhan India s Union Minister for Petroleum amp Natural Gas and Skill Development amp Entrepreneurship in a meeting with Governor Abbott in 2018 As of 2018 update Abbott rejects the scientific consensus on climate change He has said that the climate is changing but does not accept the consensus that human activity is the main reason 195 196 In early 2014 Abbott participated in sessions held at the headquarters of the United States Chamber of Commerce to devise a legal strategy to dismantle climate change regulations 197 In 2016 he supported Scott Pruitt s appointment as head of the Environmental Protection Agency EPA saying He and I teamed up on many lawsuits against the EPA 198 As Texas attorney general Abbott often sued the federal government over environmental regulations 199 After Joe Biden was elected president Abbott vowed to pursue an aggressive legal strategy against the Biden administration s environmental regulations 200 Voting rights See also Republican efforts to restrict voting following the 2020 presidential election Abbott pressed for a purge of nearly 100 000 registered voters from Texas voter rolls Texas officials initially claimed that the voters to be purged were not American citizens The purge was canceled in April 2018 after voting rights groups challenged the purge and officials at the Office of the Texas Secretary of State admitted that tens of thousands of legal voters naturalized citizens were wrongly flagged for removal Abbott claimed that he played no role in the voter purge but emails released in June 2019 showed that he was the driving force behind the effort 201 In September 2020 Abbott issued a proclamation that each Texas county could have only one location where voters could drop off early voting ballots He justified the decision by claiming it would prevent illegal voting but cited no examples of voter fraud Election security experts say voter fraud is extremely rare 202 203 Also in September 2020 Abbott extended the early voting period for that year s general election due to COVID 19 the Republican Party of Texas opposed his decision 204 Abbott made election integrity a legislative priority after President Trump s failed attempts to overturn the election results of 2020 United States presidential election by using baseless claims that the results were fraudulent 205 Voting rights advocates and civil rights groups denounced the resulting legislation saying it disproportionately affected voters of color and people with disabilities 206 In July 2021 Democratic lawmakers in the Texas legislature fled the state on a chartered flight to Washington D C in an effort to block the passage of a bill that would reform the state election procedures 207 Abbott threatened to have the lawmakers arrested upon their return to Texas 208 In August the Supreme Court of Texas made a ruling allowing for the arrest of the absent lawmakers so they could be brought to the state capitol 209 In October 2021 Abbott appointed John Scott as Texas Secretary of State putting him in a position to oversee Texas elections Scott aided Trump in his failed efforts to throw out election results in the 2020 presidential election 210 211 LGBT rights In 2014 Abbott defended Texas s ban on same sex marriage which a federal court ruled unconstitutional 212 As attorney general of Texas he argued that the prohibition on same sex marriage incentivized that children would be born in the context of stable lasting relationships 212 Abbott condemned Obergefell v Hodges the Supreme Court ruling that same sex marriage bans are unconstitutional 213 He said the Supreme Court has abandoned its role as an impartial judicial arbiter 213 Shortly thereafter Abbott filed a lawsuit to stop same sex spouses of city employees from being covered by benefit policies 214 In a letter dated May 27 2017 the CEOs of 14 large technology companies including Facebook Apple Microsoft and Amazon urged Abbott not to pass what came to be known as the bathroom bill 215 legislation requiring people to use the bathroom of the sex listed on their birth certificates not the one of their choice The bill was revived by Abbott and supported by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick 216 In March 2018 Byron Cook the chairman of the House State Affairs committee who blocked the bill claimed that Abbott privately opposed the bill 217 The bill was never signed Abbott later said it s not on my agenda in a debate with Lupe Valdez the Democratic nominee for governor in 2018 218 In 2017 Abbott signed legislation to allow taxpayer funded adoption agencies to refuse same sex families from adopting children for religious reasons 219 In 2021 a Republican primary challenger criticized Abbott because Texas s child welfare agency included content regarding LGBTQ youths Shortly thereafter the agency whose members Abbott appoints removed the webpage that included a suicide prevention hotline and other resources for LGBT youths 220 In 2022 Abbott instructed Texas state agencies to treat gender affirming medical treatments such as puberty blockers or hormone treatments for transgender youths as child abuse 221 222 223 Homelessness In June 2019 the city of Austin introduced an ordinance that repealed a 25 year old ban on homeless people camping lying or sleeping in public 224 In October 2019 Abbott sent a widely publicized letter to Austin Mayor Steve Adler criticizing the camping ban repeal and threatened to deploy state resources to combat homelessness 225 In November 2019 Abbott directed the State of Texas to open a temporary homeless encampment on a former vehicle storage yard owned by the Texas Department of Transportation which camp residents dubbed Abbottville 226 Marijuana In 2019 when numerous local prosecutors announced that they would stop prosecuting low level marijuana offenses Abbott instructed them to continue enforcing marijuana laws 227 228 229 The prosecutors cited recently passed legislation that legalized hemp As hemp contains the same chemical as marijuana THC tests at law enforcement s disposal cannot distinguish between marijuana usage and hemp usage 228 Abbott has said that legal hemp products come with a hemp certificate 228 In 2022 a poll of Texas voters found that 55 of Texans either support or strongly support legalizing cannabis 230 COVID 19 pandemic nbsp Abbott speaking with President Donald Trump and members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force in the Oval OfficeDuring the COVID 19 pandemic Abbott issued a stay at home order from April 2 to May 1 2020 231 232 This was one of the shortest stay at home orders implemented by any governor 232 After Texas started to reopen COVID 19 surged leading Abbott to pause the reopening 232 On June 24 Texas broke its record of new COVID 19 cases in a day 232 Critics described Abbott s pause as a half measure and argued that he should reverse the reopening in full to limit the virus s spread 232 According to The New York Times Abbott s response to the pandemic has been contradictory as he has said that Texans should stay at home while also saying that Texas is open for business 232 He also said that Texans should wear face masks but refused to issue a statewide mandate 232 Abbott s response to the pandemic has been criticized on both sides of the political spectrum 232 In July 2020 he directed counties with more than 20 COVID 19 cases to wear masks in public places he had previously prohibited local governments from implementing required face masks 233 In December 2020 Abbott directed Texas restaurants to ignore local curfews that had been imposed to prevent the spread of COVID 19 Localities had implemented restrictions on indoor dining and drinking late at night on New Years weekend amid a surge in COVID 19 cases 234 235 On March 2 2021 Abbott lifted all COVID 19 restrictions in Texas which included ending a mask mandate and allowing businesses to reopen 100 percent 236 In April 2021 Abbott signed an executive order banning state agencies and corporations that take public funding from requiring proof of vaccination against COVID 19 237 In June 2021 he signed a bill that would punish businesses that require customers to have proof of COVID 19 vaccination for services 238 On May 18 2021 Abbott issued an executive order banning mask mandates in public schools and governmental entities with up to a 1 000 fine for non compliers 239 On August 17 2021 Abbott s office announced that he had tested positive for COVID 19 despite being fully vaccinated since December 2020 According to his office Abbott was in good health and experiencing no symptoms 240 He received Regeneron s monoclonal antibody treatment 241 Abbott emphasized personal responsibility over government restrictions and resolutely opposed government mandates in August 2021 242 On July 29 2021 during an again worsening pandemic 243 244 he issued a superseding executive order GA 38 that reinstated earlier orders and imposed additional prohibitions on local governmental officials state agencies public universities 245 and businesses doing business with the state to prohibit them from adopting measures such as requiring face masks or proof of vaccination status as a condition of service The order also provides for a 1 000 fine for local officials who adopt inconsistent policies 246 247 248 President Biden criticized Abbott for these measures 249 The ban on mask mandates led to a score of legal challenges between Abbott and local governments including school districts 250 In justifying the ban on local government mandates in August 2021 an Abbott spokesperson said Private businesses don t need government running their business 251 In October 2021 Abbott issued an executive order that banned any entity including a private business from implementing a vaccine requirement for its employees 252 February 2021 North American ice storm See also February 13 17 2021 North American winter storm and 2021 Texas power crisis nbsp Abbott and President Joe Biden at the Harris County Emergency Operations Center in 2021During the February 13 17 2021 North American winter storm power plant failures across Texas left four million households in Texas without power 253 Abbott called for investigation and reform of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas ERCOT the electric grid operator for most of Texas 254 On February 16 on Hannity Abbott said This shows how the Green New Deal would be a deadly deal for the United States of America Our wind and our solar got shut down and they were collectively more than 10 percent of our power grid and that thrust Texas into a situation where it was lacking power on a statewide basis It just shows that fossil fuel is necessary The Texas energy department of the state of Texas immediately clarified that most of Texas s energy losses came from failures to winterize the power generating systems including fossil fuel pipelines 255 254 Most power plants in Texas are gas fired with wind generators providing about 10 during the winter 254 By February 18 Abbott had ordered Texas natural gas to sell exclusively to power generators in Texas which had an immediate and direct impact on Mexico where gas fired plants generate two thirds of all energy 256 In June 2021 Abbott signed a bill requiring power companies to be more prepared for extreme weather events 257 Personal life nbsp Greg Abbott far right and Cecilia Abbott far left with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania TrumpAbbott a Catholic is married to Cecilia Phalen Abbott the granddaughter of Mexican immigrants 258 259 260 They were married in San Antonio in 1981 3 His election as governor of Texas made her the first Latina to be First Lady of Texas since Texas joined the union 259 261 They have one adopted daughter Audrey 11 258 259 Cecilia is a former schoolteacher and principal 8 Wheelchair use On July 14 1984 at age 26 Abbott was paralyzed below the waist when an oak tree fell on him while he was jogging after a storm 8 262 Two steel rods were implanted in his spine and he underwent extensive rehabilitation at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston and has used a wheelchair ever since 263 264 He sued the homeowner and a tree service company resulting in an insurance settlement that provided him with lump sum payments every three years until 2022 along with monthly payments for life both are adjusted for inflation 265 As of August 2013 the monthly payment was US 14 000 and the three year lump sum payment was US 400 000 all tax free Abbott has said he relied on the money to pay for nearly three decades of medical expenses and other costs 265 Electoral historyOn November 4 2014 Abbott defeated Wendy Davis by 20 points in the Texas gubernatorial election According to exit polls he received 44 of the Hispanic vote and 50 of Hispanic men a majority 54 of female voters and 62 of the votes of married women 75 of women in Texas are married 266 267 268 20222022 Texas gubernatorial election 269 Party Candidate Votes Republican Greg Abbott 4 437 099 54 8Democratic Beto O Rourke 3 553 656 43 9Libertarian Mark Tippets 44 805 1Green Delilah Barrios 28 584 0 3Republican hold20182018 Texas gubernatorial election 270 Party Candidate Votes Republican Greg Abbott 4 656 196 55 8Democratic Lupe Valdez 3 546 615 42 5Libertarian Mark Tippets 140 632 1 7Republican hold20142014 Texas gubernatorial election 271 Party Candidate Votes Republican Greg Abbott 2 790 227 59 3Democratic Wendy Davis 1 832 254 38 9Libertarian Kathie Glass 66 413 1 1Green Brandon Parmer 18 494 0 4Independent Sarah M Pavitt 1 168 lt 0 1Republican hold20102010 Texas Attorney General election 272 Party Candidate Votes Republican Greg Abbott 3 151 064 64 1Democratic Barbara Ann Radnofsky 1 655 859 33 7Libertarian Jon Roland 112 118 2 3Republican hold20062006 Texas Attorney General election 272 Party Candidate Votes Republican Greg Abbott 2 556 063 59 5Democratic David Van Os 1 599 069 37 2Libertarian Jon Roland 139 668 3 3Republican hold20022002 Texas Attorney General election 272 Party Candidate Votes Republican Greg Abbott 2 542 184 56 7Democratic Kirk Watson 1 841 359 41 1Libertarian Jon Roland 56 880 1 3Green David Keith Cobb 41 560 0 9Republican hold19981998 Texas Supreme Court Associate Justice election 272 Party Candidate Votes Republican Greg Abbott 2 104 828 60 1Democratic David Van Os 1 396 924 39 9Republican holdReferences TJB SC About the Court Court History Justices Since 1945 Justices Place 5 txcourts gov Retrieved May 22 2018 Biography of Greg Abbott Texapedia Retrieved April 8 2023 a b c d e f g h i j k Sweany Brian D October 2013 The Overcomer Texas Monthly Austin Texas Retrieved October 31 2014 Person Details for Gregory Wayne Abbott Texas Birth Index 1903 1997 FamilySearch org Retrieved November 8 2014 vote smart org Archived October 23 2008 at the Wayback Machine a b c Wilson Reid October 30 2014 The likely next governor of Texas is full of Lone Star swagger Don t be surprised if he runs for president The Washington Post Washington D C Retrieved October 31 2014 Texas Governor Greg Abbott Retrieved April 8 2023 a b c d oag state tx us oag state tx us Archived from the original on October 17 2013 Retrieved October 14 2013 Race Summary Report 1996 General Election Texas Secretary of State November 5 1996 Retrieved August 28 2022 Race Summary Report 1998 General Election Texas Secretary of State November 3 1998 Retrieved August 28 2022 a b Mildenberg David and Laurel Brubaker Calkins Grit Drives Abbott to Follow Perry as Texas Governor Bloomberg Businessweek September 19 2013 dead link Attorney General Greg Abbott s Biography Project VoteSmart org November 13 1957 Retrieved October 14 2013 Goudeau Ashley April 30 2020 State Sen Kirk Watson headed to University of Houston KVUE Retrieved June 23 2020 Race Summary Report 2002 General Election Texas Secretary of State November 5 2002 Retrieved August 28 2022 Root Jay August 4 2013 Abbott Faces Questions on Settlement and His Advocacy of Tort Laws The Texas Tribune Retrieved November 5 2018 Greg Abbott shares views with local Republicans SAST February 19 2013 Archived from the original on April 24 2013 Retrieved June 25 2016 Satija Neena Carbonell Lindsay McCrimmon Ryan January 17 2017 Texas vs the Feds A Look at the Lawsuits The Texas Tribune Retrieved October 4 2017 Frosch Dan Gershman Jacob June 24 2016 Abbott s Strategy in Texas 44 Lawsuits One Opponent Obama Administration Former Attorney General Now Governor has Led a Red State Revolt Against the White House The Wall Street Journal Retrieved October 5 2017 Trump s EPA pick sued Obama s agency early and often with anti climate change ally Greg Abbott dallasnews com December 7 2016 Retrieved February 18 2018 Why the blue states climate alliance may not work Houston Chronicle Retrieved February 18 2018 Root Jay July 1 2014 Abbott Ask Chemical Plants What s Inside The Texas Tribune texastribune org Retrieved July 1 2014 Slater Wayne July 3 2014 Koch Industries says gifts Abbott s chemical ruling not linked The Dallas Morning News The Dallas Morning News Inc Retrieved July 8 2014 Solomon Dan March 27 2014 Greg Abbott Enters Fray in Lawsuits Involving Sociopath Doctor Texas Monthly Retrieved November 5 2018 Swanson Doug J March 2014 Abbott sides with Baylor hospital in neurosurgeon lawsuit The Dallas Morning News Retrieved November 5 2018 a b Robert T Garrett Texas Gov Greg Abbott says tighter restrictions on mail in ballot procedures will deter voter fraud Dallas Morning News February 2 2020 a b c d e f Texas Sues Sony BMG Alleging Violation of Texas Spyware Statute Tech Law Journal November 20 2005 Retrieved October 31 2014 a b c d Texas Attorney General s Office November 21 2014 Attorney General Abbott Brings First Enforcement Action In Nation Against Sony BMG For Spyware Violations State of Texas Austin Texas Retrieved October 31 2014 News Office of the Attorney General Archived from the original on November 20 2007 Retrieved October 14 2013 oag state tx us a b c AG throws more allegations at Sony BMG The Business Journals December 21 2005 Retrieved October 14 2013 Attorney General ups the ante in lawsuit against Sony BMG The Business Journals December 22 2005 Retrieved October 14 2013 Robert McMillan Sony pays 1 5M to settle Texas CA rootkit suits IDG News Service December 19 2005 Greenhouse Linda February 28 2005 The Ten Commandments Reach the Supreme Court The New York Times Retrieved February 10 2010 Mears Bill Supreme Court weighs Ten Commandments cases CNN Archived from the original on June 9 2017 Curry Tom August 27 2005 Breyer Cast Decisive Vote on Religious Displays NBC News Retrieved August 6 2019 Jim Forsyth Y all come to Texas state official tells New York gun owners Reuters January 17 2013 Fernandez Manny January 20 2013 Texas Attorney General to New Yorkers Come on Down With Guns The New York Times Retrieved August 4 2019 Poppe Ryan February 26 2014 Supreme Court Won t Hear NRA s Case For Lowering Conceal Carry Age Limit tpr org Retrieved July 4 2014 a b Root Jay August 4 2013 Abbott Faces Questions on Settlement and His Advocacy of Tort Laws The Texas Tribune Retrieved July 15 2019 a b c d e A Closer Look at Greg Abbott s Anti Gay Marriage Arguments The Texas Observer July 30 2014 Retrieved June 8 2019 Texas attorney general ban on same sex marriage promotes childbirth The Guardian Associated Press July 29 2014 ISSN 0261 3077 Retrieved June 8 2019 Race Summary Report 2006 General Election Race Summary Report 2006 General Election November 7 2007 Retrieved August 28 2022 Race Summary Report 2010 General Election Texas Secretary of State November 2 2010 Retrieved August 28 2022 Root Jay November 4 2014 Greg Abbott Crushes Wendy Davis in GOP Sweep The Texas Tribune Austin Texas Retrieved November 8 2014 Abbott s role at cancer agency under fire Houston Chronicle Retrieved July 27 2013 Rick Perry Won t Run for Re election The Texas Tribune July 8 2013 Retrieved October 14 2013 Texas AG Abbott kicks off gubernatorial run Archived from the original on July 14 2013 Retrieved July 14 2013 Greg Abbott and the Quiet Spot at the Top The Texas Tribune August 12 2011 Retrieved October 14 2013 Republican primary election returns March 4 2014 team1 sos state tx us Archived from the original on March 7 2014 Retrieved March 6 2014 Alexander Kate March 31 2014 Greg Abbott promotes improving quality of pre K over expanding access full day classes statesman com Retrieved April 7 2014 Smith Morgan Ura Alexa April 8 2014 Abbott Campaign Pre K Plan Does Not Mean More Tests The Texas Tribune Retrieved April 14 2014 a b c Hoppe Christy April 1 2014 Greg Abbott s education plan cites controversial thinker on race gender The Dallas Morning News Archived from the original on April 7 2014 Retrieved April 8 2014 Texas Gubernatorial Candidate Greg Abbott speaks about state issues Laredo Morning Times May 16 2014 pp 1 14A Slater Wayne September 28 2014 Greg Abbott shielded problem plagued business fund by withholding applications that didn t even exist The Dallas Morning News The Dallas Morning News Inc Archived from the original on October 3 2014 Retrieved September 30 2014 Negin Elliott June 9 2016 After the Deluge Texas and France Split on Climate Science huffingtonpost com Retrieved February 18 2018 For governor Abbott holds promise Editorial Board Fort Worth Star Telegram October 19 2014 Retrieved October 20 2014 Editorial We recommend Greg Abbott for Texas governor Dallas Morning News Dallas Texas October 16 2014 Our View Attorney General Greg Abbott is the best gubernatorial candidate Editorial Board Lubbock Avalanche Journal Lubbock Texas October 18 2014 Retrieved October 19 2014 Greg Abbott ready to be our governor Editorial Board Tyler Morning Telegraph Tyler Texas October 18 2014 Reynolds John September 18 2014 NRA Endorses Abbott Patrick The Texas Tribune Retrieved August 4 2019 Root Jay November 4 2014 Abbott Crushes Davis in GOP Sweep The Texas Tribune Retrieved April 21 2018 Hoppe Christy November 5 2014 Greg Abbott Tops Wendy Davis in Texas Governor s Race The Dallas Morning News Retrieved April 21 2018 Herskovitz Jon November 4 2014 Republican Greg Abbott Wins Texas Governor s Race Reuters Retrieved April 21 2018 Root Jay November 6 2014 Wendy Davis Lost Badly Here s How it Happened The Washington Post The Texas Tribune Retrieved April 21 2018 Svitek Patrick January 12 2017 Greg Abbott Builds Big War Chest Ahead of 2018 The Texas Tribune Retrieved January 23 2017 a b Peggy Fikac Abbott adds 9 million to campaign war chest San Antonio Express News January 13 2017 p A4 Whitely Jason January 22 2017 Abbott to Run for Re Election Explains Position on Bathroom Bill WFAA Retrieved January 23 2017 Jeffers Gromer Jr March 28 2017 Gov Greg Abbott Remains Coy About Bathroom Bill Says He ll Run for Re Election The Dallas Morning News Retrieved March 28 2017 Root Jay July 14 2017 With No Opposition in Sight Texas Gov Greg Abbott Formally Launches 2018 Re Election Bid The Texas Tribune Retrieved July 30 2017 Peggy Fikac Abbott to seek second term Governor says in S A he s ready to fight liberals San Antonio Express News July 15 2017 pp 1 A2 Zdun Matt Collier Kiah November 6 2018 Gov Greg Abbott clinches second term as GOP wins closest statewide races in 20 years The Texas Tribune Retrieved November 7 2018 Samuels Brett November 6 2018 Texas governor Greg Abbott wins reelection The Hill Retrieved November 7 2018 Garrett Robert T November 6 2018 For Gov Greg Abbott a victory though not the towering one he d hoped for over Lupe Valdez The Dallas Morning News Retrieved November 7 2018 Weber Paul J November 6 2018 No surprise here Greg Abbott easily defeats Lupe Valdez re elected as Texas governor Fort Worth Star Telegram from the Associated Press Retrieved November 7 2018 Sanchez Carlos November 6 2018 Greg Abbott Wins a Second Term as Governor Texas Monthly Retrieved November 16 2018 Manuel Obed April 29 2019 More Texas Latinos voted in 2018 but so did everyone else census data shows Dallas Morning News Dallas Texas Retrieved April 29 2019 In spite of the Democrats increasing their election turnout we were able to grow our turnout as well and do so enough that for the 12th election in a row every single statewide office was retained by Republicans James Dickey said He added that Latino voters 42 percent of whom voted for Abbott will continue playing a key role for the Texas GOP Tilove Jonathan June 14 2019 Tilove Abbott says Biden will fade and Trump will win Texas Austin American Statesman Retrieved February 25 2021 He said he plans to run for a third term in 2022 Svitek Patrick May 10 2021 Republican former state Sen Don Huffines launches primary challenge to Gov Greg Abbott The Texas Tribune Retrieved July 17 2021 Svitek Patrick March 2 2022 Greg Abbott Beto O Rourke easily win gubernatorial primaries setting up November race The Texas Tribune Retrieved September 21 2022 Svitek Patrick July 4 2021 Allen West announces he is running against Gov Greg Abbott in Republican primary The Texas Tribune Retrieved July 17 2021 Svitek Partick November 15 2021 Beto O Rourke says he s running for Texas governor The Texas Tribune Retrieved January 6 2022 Svitek Patrick July 8 2021 Texas Gov Greg Abbott has colossal 55 million war chest for 2022 reelection bid The Texas Tribune Retrieved July 17 2021 Lau Carla Astudillo Caroline Covington and Eric July 20 2022 Greg Abbott and Beto O Rourke broke fundraising records in their race for Texas governor Here s how much The Texas Tribune Retrieved March 6 2023 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link 2022 US Governor Election Results Live Map ABC News November 9 2022 Retrieved November 9 2022 Fernandez Manny January 20 2015 Texas New Governor Echoes the Plans of Perry The New York Times Retrieved January 24 2015 Whitely Jason January 20 2015 Abbott Patrick Sworn in as new Texas Leaders Archived January 24 2015 at the Wayback Machine WFAA com Retrieved January 24 2015 Greg Abbott s election in Texas opens possibilities for disabled USA Today November 5 2014 Retrieved June 28 2020 Greg Abbott and the new politics of disability Austin American Statesman September 24 2016 Retrieved June 28 2020 Root Jay November 5 2014 Abbott Crushes Davis in GOP Sweep The Texas Tribune Retrieved September 13 2021 Abbott Discusses Trade With Irish Prime Minister Texas Tribune Retrieved March 16 2015 Texas to Move Forward With Cuts to Children s Therapy The Texas Tribune August 26 2016 Retrieved January 2 2016 Citing irreparable injury to kids judge blocks deep mystatesman com Retrieved December 14 2015 Texas Republicans finalize bill that would enact stiff new voting restrictions and make it easier to overturn election results The Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 Retrieved May 29 2021 Platoff Emma April 3 2018 A Friendly Vote on the Court How Greg Abbott s Former Employees Could Help Texas from the Federal Bench The Texas Tribune Retrieved May 17 2018 Patrick Svitek Donald Trump endorses Gov Greg Abbott for reelection Texas Tribune June 1 2021 Abbott Greg 2016 Broken But Unbowed Threshold Editions ISBN 9781501144899 Helmore Edward November 24 2017 Would be Obama assassin identified by cat hairs authorities say theguardian com Retrieved November 25 2017 Grinberg Emanuella June 6 2017 Texas Special Legislative Session What s on the Agenda CNN Retrieved June 7 2017 Greg Abbott Texas Governor Revives Bathroom Bill for Special Session Fox News from the Associated Press June 6 2017 Retrieved June 7 2017 Svitek Patrick June 6 2017 Gov Abbott Calls Special Session on Bathrooms Abortion School Finance The Texas Tribune Retrieved June 7 2017 McGaughy Lauren June 15 2017 Gov Greg Abbott Vetoes 50 Bills the Most Killed by a Texas Governor in a Decade The Dallas Morning News Retrieved June 25 2017 Svitek Patrick June 15 2017 Abbott Vetoes 50 Bills Passed by Legislature The Texas Tribune Retrieved June 25 2017 Vertuno Jim March 10 2019 Abbott fills courts with GOP judges voters rejected Austin American Statesman Retrieved October 24 2021 Epstein Reid J July 17 2021 In Texas Top Two Republicans Steer Ship of State Hard to the Right The New York Times Archived from the original on December 28 2021 Retrieved July 31 2021 Ax Joseph Harte Julia October 13 2021 Texas governor moves state sharply to the right ahead of 2022 election Reuters Retrieved October 24 2021 Martinez Marissa September 28 2021 Texas politics takes over American politics Politico Retrieved October 24 2021 Wallace Jeremy January 2 2022 In 2021 Texas politics took a sharp right turn Houston Chronicle Retrieved January 2 2022 a b Stack Liam November 30 2016 Texas Will Require Burial of Aborted Fetuses The New York Times Retrieved December 1 2016 Perchick Michael December 1 2016 New Texas Provisions Require Burial or Cremation of Aborted Fetuses USA Today from KVUE Retrieved December 1 2016 Judge Blocks Texas Rules Requiring Burial of Fetal Remains Fox News December 15 2016 Retrieved December 17 2016 Evans Marissa January 27 2017 Federal Court Blocks Texas Fetal Remains Burial Rule The Texas Tribune Retrieved February 2 2017 Mekelburg Madlin May 26 2017 Sweeping Anti Abortion Bill Heads to Gov Greg Abbott s Desk The Dallas Morning News Retrieved June 7 2017 Grasso Samantha June 7 2017 Texas Bans Common Abortion Procedure Requires Fetal Remains Burial with New Law The Daily Dot Retrieved June 7 2017 Gryboski Michael June 7 2017 Texas Governor Signs Abortion Dismemberment Ban Into Law The Christian Post Retrieved June 7 2017 Young Stephen January 30 2018 Federal Judge Blocks Texas Controversial Fetal Burial Requirement dallasobserver com Retrieved February 18 2018 Judge halts Texas law requiring burial or cremation of fetal tissue Reuters January 29 2018 Retrieved February 18 2018 Abortion Texas governor signs restrictive new law BBC News May 19 2021 Retrieved June 3 2021 Mekelburg Madlin Gov Greg Abbott signs fetal heartbeat bill banning most abortions in Texas USA Today Retrieved May 19 2021 Schreiber Melody September 22 2021 New Texas law bans abortion inducing drugs after seven weeks pregnancy The Guardian Retrieved October 18 2021 Grissom Brandi January 8 2016 Texas Gov Greg Abbott calls for Convention of States to take back states rights Dallas News Walters Edgar January 8 2016 Abbott Calls on States to Amend U S Constitution The Texas Tribune Retrieved February 10 2016 Texas Gov Abbott Calls for Convention on Constitution Proposes Amendments Fox News January 9 2016 Retrieved February 10 2016 Peggy Fikac Governor seeks to crimp high court Abbott wants constitutional convention San Antonio Express News January 10 2016 pp A3 A4 Robinson Peter May 17 2016 The Texas Plan With Governor Greg Abbott Uncommon Knowledge Hoover Institution Retrieved March 13 2017 a b McCullough Jolie September 9 2020 Gov Greg Abbott calls on all Texas candidates to sign pledge against police budget cuts The Texas Tribune Retrieved May 12 2021 McCullough Jolie September 3 2020 Gov Greg Abbott considering legislation to put Austin police under state control after budget cut The Texas Tribune Retrieved May 12 2021 Garnham Jolie McCullough and Juan Pablo May 6 2021 Texas larger cities would face financial penalties for cutting police budgets under bill approved by House The Texas Tribune Retrieved May 12 2021 a b c Eltohamy Heidi Perez Moreno and Farah June 21 2021 Gov Greg Abbott vetoes criminal justice bills legislation to protect dogs teach kids about domestic violence The Texas Tribune Retrieved June 22 2021 a b c Gov Abbott signs open carry campus carry into law Kvue com June 16 2015 Archived from the original on January 6 2016 Retrieved January 2 2016 a b At Shooting Range Abbott Signs Open Carry Bill The Texas Tribune June 13 2015 Retrieved January 2 2016 Fernandez Manny Montgomery David December 31 2015 Texas Open Carry Gun Law The New York Times Retrieved January 2 2016 Texas becomes 45th state to pass open carry law Abc13 com June 8 2015 Archived from the original on January 4 2016 Retrieved January 2 2016 Samuels Alex May 26 2017 Texas Governor Jokes About Shooting Reporters After Signing Gun Bill The Texas Tribune Retrieved May 28 2017 Siders David June 21 2021 Tip of the spear Texas governor leads revolt against Biden POLITICO Retrieved June 22 2021 Bowden John November 7 2017 Texas governor says church shooting should be put in context of Nazism other horrific events The Hill Retrieved August 4 2019 Feldman Ari November 9 2017 ADL Slams Texas Gov For Saying Mass Shooting Not As Bad As Hitler Forward Retrieved August 4 2019 Ward Mike November 9 2017 Anti Defamation League criticizes Abbott over Hitler remark Houston Chronicle Retrieved August 4 2019 Greenwood Max May 18 2018 Texas gov calls for action after shooting We need to do more than just pray Retrieved May 19 2018 Montgomery Dave Fernandez Manny May 22 2018 Texas Governor Gathers Leaders to Talk Gun Violence What Are We Going to Do to Prevent This The New York Times Retrieved August 4 2019 Oppel Richard A Jr May 30 2018 Texas Governor s School Safety Plan More Armed Guards No Big Gun Controls The New York Times Retrieved August 4 2019 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link a b Vertuno Jim June 6 2019 Texas governor signs bill allowing more armed teachers Associated Press Retrieved August 4 2019 McArdle Mairead June 6 2019 Texas Governor Signs Bill Allowing More Armed Teachers National Review Retrieved August 4 2019 a b Alex Samuels Gov Greg Abbott lays out response to El Paso shooting but won t commit to special session Texas Tribune August 15 2019 Texans can carry handguns without a license or training starting Sept 1 after Gov Greg Abbott signs permitless carry bill into law Texas Tribune Retrieved March 24 2022 Where AR 15 style rifles fit in America s tragic history of mass shootings NPR org May 26 2022 Retrieved May 30 2022 Texas school shooting Gunman walked in with handgun possibly a rifle Biden was aboard Air Force One when rampage happened Sky News Retrieved May 25 2022 Hooper Kelly May 25 2022 You are doing nothing O Rourke accosts Abbott at press conference on shooting Politico Retrieved May 26 2022 Gov Greg Abbott delivers remarks at 2022 NRA Convention in Houston Fox 26 Youtube Retrieved May 30 2022 Texas Republican decries pandering to idiots MSNBC May 2015 Greg Abbott Tells Texas National Guard to Monitor U S Military Exercises U S News amp World Report Texas Governor Deploys State Guard To Stave Off Obama Takeover NPR May 2 2015 Former GOP lawmaker blisters Abbott for pandering to idiots over military exercises Trail Blazers Blog Pollock Cassandra Samuels Alex May 3 2018 Hysteria over Jade Helm exercise in Texas was fueled by Russians former CIA director says The Texas Tribune Retrieved May 8 2019 Crampton Liz June 11 2015 Abbott Signs Pastor Protection Act Into Law The Texas Tribune Retrieved September 29 2016 a b Svitek Patrick May 21 2017 Abbott Signs Bill Protecting Sermons from Subpoenas The Texas Tribune Retrieved May 22 2017 Abbott Signs Bill Preventing Government From Subpoenaing Sermons CBS DFW May 21 2017 Retrieved May 22 2017 Evans Marissa June 15 2017 Abbott OKs Religious Refusal of Adoptions in Texas The Texas Tribune Retrieved June 25 2017 Herskovitz Jon June 15 2017 Texas governor approves adoption bill that critics contend discriminates Reuters Retrieved June 25 2017 Watkins Matthew June 22 2017 Citing Religious Refusal of Adoption Rule California Bans State Travel to Texas The Texas Tribune Retrieved June 25 2017 Ford Matt June 16 2016 Texas Loses Its Syrian Refugee Lawsuit The Atlantic Retrieved January 14 2020 Texas Gov Abbott Cuts Funding to Austin Over Sanctuary City Policies Fox News February 2 2017 Retrieved February 2 2017 Svitek Patrick February 2 2017 In Sanctuary Fight Abbott Cuts Off Funding to Travis County The Texas Tribune Retrieved February 2 2017 Texas Governor Signs Bill Targeting Sanctuary Cities Fox News May 7 2017 Retrieved May 7 2017 Carter Brandon May 7 2017 Texas Governor Signs Law Banning Sanctuary Cities The Hill Retrieved May 7 2017 Cobler Nicole Gov Greg Abbott says Texas won t accept refugees in 2020 USA TODAY Retrieved January 10 2020 Burke Daniel January 13 2020 Every Catholic Bishop in Texas is Slamming Gov Abbott s decision to bar refugees CNN Retrieved January 14 2020 Barragan Heidi Perez Moreno and James June 17 2021 Critics denounce Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick s invasion rhetoric on immigration saying it will incite violence The Texas Tribune Retrieved June 24 2021 PolitiFact Abbott exaggerates COVID 19 concerns about migrants entering US PolitiFact March 11 2021 Retrieved March 17 2021 Gov Greg Abbott orders Texas child care regulators to yank licenses of facilities housing immigrant kids Dallas News June 2 2021 Retrieved June 2 2021 Guzman Joseph June 17 2021 Texas governor unveils 250M for hundreds of miles of new border wall The Hill Retrieved June 26 2021 Choi Joseph June 15 2021 Abbott says he ll solicit public donations for border wall The Hill Retrieved June 26 2021 Findell Elizabeth July 22 2021 Texas Arrests Migrants Crossing the U S Border for Trespassing The Wall Street Journal Retrieved July 24 2021 Jenkins Cameron July 23 2021 Texas begins arresting migrants for trespassing The Hill Retrieved July 24 2021 Jenkins Cameron July 28 2021 Texas governor orders National Guard to arrest migrants The Hill Retrieved July 31 2021 Barragan James July 27 2021 Gov Greg Abbott orders Texas National Guard to help with migrant arrests at the border The Texas Tribune Retrieved July 31 2021 Castronuovo Celine July 29 2021 Texas governor restricts transportation of migrants who pose a risk of carrying COVID 19 into communities The Hill Retrieved July 31 2021 Sheehey Maeve July 28 2021 Abbott aims to restrict immigrant travel through Texas citing rising Covid 19 infections Politico Retrieved July 31 2021 Dima Jake July 28 2021 Texas Gov Abbott clamps down on migrant transports to stop COVID 19 spread in communities Washington Examiner Retrieved July 31 2021 McCullough Jolie September 27 2021 Migrants arrested by Texas in border crackdown are being imprisoned for weeks without legal help or formal charges The Texas Tribune Retrieved September 29 2021 Aitken Peter December 18 2021 Texas Gov Abbott shows completed section of state made border wall pledges to protect state s sovereignty Fox News Governor Abbott threatens to bus migrants from Texas to US Capitol www cbsnews com April 7 2022 Retrieved April 14 2022 Amir Vera and Amy Simonson April 7 2022 Texas to send buses of undocumented immigrants to US capital if they re willing to go Gov Greg Abbott says CNN Retrieved April 14 2022 Moritz John Policy to bus migrants to Washington is voluntary but Gov Abbott did not initially make that clear El Paso Times Retrieved April 14 2022 Arelis Hernandez Maria Sachetti April 13 2022 First busload of migrants from Texas arrives in D C The Washington Post Retrieved April 14 2022 Bernal Rafael April 14 2022 Second bus drops off migrants near Capitol The Hill Retrieved April 14 2022 Greg Abbott faces fire for busing migrants to DC This is kidnapping The Independent April 13 2022 Retrieved April 14 2022 Psaki It s Nice of Texas to Send Busloads of Illegal Immigrants to D C National Review April 13 2022 Retrieved April 14 2022 G O P Governors Cause Havoc by Busing Migrants to East Coast The New York Times August 4 2022 Retrieved August 26 2022 Osio Cabrices Rafael September 15 2022 Using Migrants as a Political Weapon Caracas Chronicles Retrieved September 17 2022 Texas envia otro bus con migrantes venezolanos a la residencia de Kamala Harris EFE in Spanish Efecto Cocuyo September 17 2022 Retrieved September 27 2022 Texas Governor orders enhanced commercial vehicle inspections at border admits traffic will dramatically slow CDL Life April 7 2022 Retrieved April 13 2022 Reiley Laura April 13 2022 White House truckers blast Tex as inspections snarl Mexico traffic The Washington Post Retrieved April 13 2022 Diaz Lizbeth Hesson Ted April 12 2022 Trucker protests expand at U S Mexico border over lengthy wait times Reuters Retrieved April 13 2022 Reiley Laura April 15 2022 Texas Gov Abbott reverses course on truck inspections at Mexico border The Washington Post Retrieved April 17 2022 Garcia Ariana April 22 2022 Gov Greg Abbott truck inspections turned up zero drugs migrants but cost Texas 4 2 billion Laredo Morning Times Retrieved April 23 2022 FEMA s Climate Change Carrot to Texas texasmonthly com March 24 2015 Retrieved February 18 2018 EPA chief carbon dioxide not primary cause of climate change statesman com Archived from the original on August 26 2017 Retrieved February 18 2018 Davenport Coral Davis Julie Hirschfeld August 3 2015 Move to Fight Obama s Climate Plan Started Early The New York Times Retrieved October 4 2017 Dennis Brady Mooney Chris December 8 2016 Pruitt Trump s EPA pick has both sides of climate divide girding for a major fight The Washington Post Retrieved October 4 2017 Texas report says changing climate intensifying disasters Associated Press December 13 2018 Retrieved February 17 2021 Svitek Patrick January 28 2021 Gov Greg Abbott says he ll fight Joe Biden s energy and climate agenda The Texas Tribune Retrieved February 17 2021 Contreras Guillermo Morris Allie June 5 2019 DPS emails show Texas governor pressed for voter purge that used flawed data Houston Chronicle Archived from the original on August 7 2020 Retrieved June 8 2019 Despart Zach October 1 2020 Gov Abbott forces Harris County to close 11 mail ballot drop off sites Houston Chronicle Retrieved October 1 2020 Platoff Emma October 1 2020 Gov Greg Abbott orders counties to reduce ballot dropoff locations bolstering GOP efforts to limit absentee voting options The Texas Tribune Archived from the original on October 4 2020 Retrieved October 1 2020 Svitek Patrick September 23 2021 Texas Republicans sue to stop Gov Greg Abbott s extension of early voting period during the pandemic The Texas Tribune Retrieved July 4 2021 Svitek Patrick February 1 2021 Gov Greg Abbott unveils legislative priorities including police funding election integrity expanding broadband access and more The Texas Tribune Abbott s prioritization of election security comes three months following a November election after which top Texas Republicans including U S Sen Ted Cruz and Attorney General Ken Paxton played central roles in fueling former President Donald Trump s baseless claims of widespread fraud Those conspiracies led to a violent siege on the U S Capitol the day Congress met to certify the results last month Abbott was among the Republicans who did not immediately recognize Biden s victory after major news outlets declared him the winner and he was later supportive of Paxton s unsuccessful lawsuit challenging the results in four battleground states Multiple sources Ura Alexa May 7 2021 Texas GOP s voting restrictions bill could be rewritten behind closed doors after final House passage The Texas Tribune But both the original SB 7 and the original provisions of HB 6 were opposed by civil rights groups who raised the prospect that the legislation violates federal safeguards for voters of color Republicans efforts to further restrict voting in the state come as their presidential margins of victory continue to thin and Democrats drive up their votes in diverse urban centers and growing suburban communities Ura Alexa March 22 2021 Texas Republicans begin pursuing new voting restrictions as they work to protect their hold on power The Texas Tribune Senate Bill 7 is part of a broader package of proposals to constrain local initiatives widening voter access in urban areas made up largely by people of color that favor Democrats New GOP led voting restrictions move forward in Texas CBS News AP April 1 2021 The bill is one of two major voting packages in Texas that mirrors a nationwide campaign by Republicans after former President Donald Trump made false claims about election fraud Voting rights groups say the measures would disproportionately impact racial and ethnic minority voters Wines Michael April 1 2021 Texas lawmakers advance a bill that would make voting more difficult drawing comparisons to Georgia The New York Times Critics of the Senate bill said most of its provisions were less about making voting secure than about making it harder particularly for urban voters and minority voters two groups that tend to vote for Democrats Barragan James April 1 2021 In overnight vote Texas Senate passes bill that would make it harder to vote Dallas Morning News President of the Texas Civil Rights Project said many of the bill s provisions would disproportionately affect voters of color The extended voting hours in Harris County for example were mostly used by voters of color Fifty six percent of voters who cast ballots in late night hours were Black Hispanic or Asian according to the Texas Civil Rights Project Coronado Acacia May 30 2021 EXPLAINER How Texas Republicans aim to make voting harder Associated Press Advocates say the changes would disproportionately affect minorities and people with disabilities Gardner Amy May 30 2021 How the new Texas voting bill would create hurdles for voters of color Washington Post While Senate Bill 7 would have wide ranging effects on voters across the state it includes specific language that critics say would disproportionately affect people of color particularly those who live in under resourced and urban communities Schnell Mychael July 13 2021 Abbott says Democratic lawmakers will be arrested when they return to Texas The Hill Retrieved April 14 2022 SLODYSKO PAUL J WEBER ACACIA CORONADO and BRIAN July 13 2021 Republican Gov Greg Abbott threatens to arrest Texas Democrats who fled state before vote on new election laws chicagotribune com Retrieved April 14 2022 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Barragan James August 10 2021 Texas Supreme Court allows for arrest of Democrats who don t show up to Legislature The Texas Tribune Retrieved April 14 2022 Goodman J David October 21 2021 Texas Governor Appoints Former Trump Lawyer to Oversee Election Review The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on December 28 2021 Retrieved October 25 2021 Svitek James Barragan and Patrick October 21 2021 Gov Greg Abbott s pick for top Texas election post worked with Trump to fight 2020 results The Texas Tribune Retrieved October 25 2021 a b Langford Eli Okun and Terri August 7 2014 GOP Lawmakers Make Case for Upholding Same Sex Marriage Ban The Texas Tribune Retrieved April 1 2021 a b Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Nationwide Marriage Equality BuzzFeed News June 27 2015 Retrieved June 8 2019 Ura Alexa October 28 2016 Texas Republicans want to narrow scope of same sex marriage ruling The Texas Tribune Retrieved June 8 2019 McGaughy Lauren Mark Zuckerberg Tim Cook to Texas Gov Greg Abbott Don t pass discriminatory laws Dallas News May 28 2017 retrieved June 19 2017 Greg Abbott Texas governor revives bathroom bill for special session Fox News via Associated Press June 6 2017 retrieved June 19 2017 Platoff Emma March 13 2018 Texas Gov Greg Abbott Opposed Controversial Bathroom Bill State Legislator Says The Texas Tribune Retrieved March 30 2018 Texas governor says bathroom bill no longer on his agenda Reuters September 28 2018 Texas governor signs anti LGBT religious freedom adoption bill Washington Blade Gay News Politics LGBT Rights June 15 2017 Retrieved June 8 2019 Scherer Jasper October 12 2021 Prompted by Abbott challenger Texas agency removes webpage with suicide hotline for LGBTQ youths Houston Chronicle Retrieved October 15 2021 Lindell Chuck Abbott orders state agency to treat gender affirming care as child abuse Austin American Statesman Retrieved February 23 2022 Texas governor directs state agencies to investigate gender affirming care for trans youths as child abuse Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 Retrieved February 23 2022 Ghorayshi Azeen February 23 2022 Texas Governor Pushes to Investigate Medical Treatments for Trans Youth as Child Abuse The New York Times Retrieved February 25 2022 Sanders Austin June 21 2019 Council Bites the Bullet Helps the Homeless The Austin Chronicle Retrieved January 9 2020 Bova Gus November 1 2019 Greg Abbott vs Austin s Homeless Texas Observer Retrieved January 9 2020 Bova Gus December 20 2019 Greg Abbott s Indefinite Imperfect Homeless Camp Texas Observer Retrieved January 9 2020 McCullough Jolie July 18 2019 Texas leaders Hemp law did not decriminalize marijuana The Texas Tribune Retrieved February 17 2021 a b c Gov Greg Abbott Urges Texas DAs Against Dropping Misdemeanor Marijuana Possession Cases NBC 5 Dallas Fort Worth July 18 2019 Retrieved February 17 2021 Gov Abbott Texas leaders urge prosecutors to keep enforcing pot laws FOX 4 News Dallas Fort Worth July 18 2019 Retrieved February 17 2021 Survey of Texas Voters PDF August 1 2022 Goldenstein Taylor April 2 2020 Gov Greg Abbott s statewide stay home order explained Houston Chronicle Retrieved June 26 2020 a b c d e f g h Fernandez Manny Mervosh Sarah June 25 2020 Texas Pauses Reopening as Virus Cases Soar Across the South and West The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved June 26 2020 Coronavirus Texas governor mandates wearing of face masks BBC News July 3 2020 Retrieved July 3 2020 Livingston Juan Pablo Garnham and Abby January 1 2021 Greg Abbott and Ken Paxton tell Austin restaurants to defy COVID 19 order banning overnight dine in services The Texas Tribune Retrieved January 1 2021 Aguirre Priscilla December 30 2020 Gov Greg Abbott says Austin s new dine in restrictions are not allowed Period mySA Retrieved January 1 2021 Texas and Mississippi to lift mask mandates and roll back Covid restrictions NBC News March 2 2021 Retrieved March 2 2021 Texas governor bans mandated COVID 19 vaccine passports CBS News April 6 2021 Retrieved April 7 2021 Harper Karen Brooks June 7 2021 Gov Greg Abbott signs bill to punish businesses that require proof of COVID 19 vaccination The Texas Tribune Retrieved June 9 2021 Gov Abbott bans mask mandates in Texas public schools cities and counties Houston Chronicle May 18 2021 Retrieved May 18 2021 Texas governor tests positive for COVID 19 in good health Associated Press August 17 2021 Retrieved August 18 2021 Schneider Avie August 17 2021 Texas Gov Greg Abbott Tests Positive For The Coronavirus NPR Retrieved August 17 2021 Svitek Patrick August 6 2021 As coronavirus rages again in Texas Gov Greg Abbott resists statewide action hamstrings local leaders The Texas Tribune Retrieved September 11 2021 Sabawi Fares July 29 2021 Texas Gov Greg Abbott s new order bans local governments from issuing mask vaccine mandates KSAT Retrieved July 30 2021 Wallace Jeremy July 28 2021 As COVID hospitalizations surge past 5 000 Gov Abbott renews call for personal responsibility Houston Chronicle Retrieved July 30 2021 Saul Stephanie August 12 2021 Campuses Are Virus Incubators but These Colleges Can t Require Vaccines The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on December 28 2021 Retrieved August 13 2021 Towey Robert July 29 2021 Texas Gov Abbott threatens fines again against local officials and businesses that enforce mask mandates vaccine requirements CNBC Retrieved July 30 2021 Office of the Governor July 29 2021 Executive Order GA 38 PDF Retrieved July 29 2021 Scherer Jasper July 29 2021 As delta variant spreads Abbott bans local COVID restrictions in areas with high hospitalization rates Houston Chronicle Retrieved July 30 2021 whitehouse gov Remarks by President Biden on Fighting the COVID 19 Pandemic August 3 2021 Question Q Mr President do you believe that Governor DeSantis and Governor Abbott are personally making decisions that are harming their own citizens Biden I believe the results of their decisions are not good for their constituents And it s clear to me and to most of the medical experts that the decisions being made like not allowing mask mandates in school and the like are bad health policy bad health policy Lopez Joshua Fechter and Brian August 17 2021 Confusion reigns in Texas as legal fight over mask mandates rages between local officials and Gov Greg Abbott The Texas Tribune Retrieved September 7 2021 Svitek Patrick August 25 2021 Gov Greg Abbott bans government mandates on COVID 19 vaccines regardless of whether they have full FDA approval The Texas Tribune Retrieved October 11 2021 Texas Gov Greg Abbott bans vaccine mandates by any entity Axios 2021 Sanchez Carolina February 16 2021 As millions lose power Texas Gov Abbott declares ERCOT reform an emergency item FOX 26 Houston Retrieved August 14 2021 a b c Englund Will February 16 2021 The Texas grid got crushed because its operators didn t see the need to prepare for cold weather The Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 Retrieved February 19 2021 Shepherd Katie February 17 2021 Rick Perry says Texans would accept even longer power outages to keep the federal government out of their business The Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 Retrieved February 19 2021 Lopez Oscar February 18 2021 Mexico Cries Foul at Natural Gas Cutoff Ordered by Texas Governor The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on December 28 2021 Retrieved February 19 2021 Zou Isabella June 8 2021 Texas power generation companies will have to better prepare for extreme weather under bills Gov Greg Abbott signed into law The Texas Tribune Retrieved June 11 2021 a b Cecilia Abbott gregabbott com Greg Abbott for Governor Retrieved October 22 2014 a b c Ura Alexa March 16 2014 Unknown to Most Cecilia Abbott Could Make History The Texas Tribune Austin Texas Retrieved October 22 2014 Words Matter On Ted Nugent Greg Abbott and the subhuman mongrel who is president of the United States Statesman com Retrieved January 2 2016 New first lady of Texas advocates for Hispanic population November 6 2014 Retrieved November 8 2014 Accident set Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott on a path toward politics May 31 2010 The Dallas Morning News Retrieved October 27 2010 Fernandez Manny Candidate Draws Support and Critics for Talk of Disability July 22 2013 The New York Times Ackerman Todd Houston rehab giant ready for Giffords Houston Chronicle January 20 2011 a b Root Jay August 2 2013 For the First Time Abbott Discusses Details of His Lawsuit Settlement The Texas Tribune Retrieved July 15 2019 Thorburn Wayne November 17 2014 How the Democrats Lost Texas Politico Washington D C Retrieved November 18 2014 According to the NBC exit poll Abbott and Davis split the 18 to 29 year old cohort evenly while married women went 62 percent for Abbott he received 54 percent from all female voters and a near record 44 percent of Hispanics cast their ballots for the Republican gubernatorial candidate Hoppe Christy November 5 2014 Greg Abbott tops Wendy Davis in Texas governor s race Dallas Morning News Dallas Texas Retrieved November 5 2014 Carney Dave February 6 2015 How We Won Texas Politico Washington D C Retrieved February 7 2015 The exit polls showed Greg Abbott won 54 percent of women 50 percent of Hispanic men and won 44 percent of Hispanics overall all of which are traditionally strong Democratic groups Election Results Texas Secretary of State Retrieved December 2 2022 2018 General Election Politico Retrieved June 28 2020 2014 General Election Office of the Secretary of State Texas Archived from the original on January 9 2014 Retrieved January 2 2007 a b c d 1992 2006 ELECTION HISTORY Archived from the original on November 8 2006 Further readingGonzalez John W Abbott has friends and foes in disabled community Houston Chronicle July 29 2013 External links nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Greg Abbott nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gregory Abbott Governor Greg Abbott Official state website Official website Greg Abbott at Curlie Appearances on C SPANLegal officesPreceded byJack Hightower Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court1995 2001 Succeeded byXavier RodriguezPreceded byJohn Cornyn Attorney General of Texas2002 2015 Succeeded byKen PaxtonParty political officesPreceded byRick Perry Republican nominee for Governor of Texas2014 2018 2022 Most recentPreceded byPete Ricketts Chair of the Republican Governors Association2019 2020 Succeeded byDoug DuceyPolitical officesPreceded byRick Perry Governor of Texas2015 present IncumbentU S order of precedence ceremonial Preceded byKamala Harrisas Vice President Order of precedence of the United StatesWithin Texas Succeeded byMayor of cityin which event is heldSucceeded byOtherwise John Robertsas Chief Justice of the United StatesPreceded byRon DeSantisas Governor of Florida Order of precedence of the United StatesOutside Texas Succeeded byKim Reynoldsas Governor of Iowa Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Greg Abbott amp oldid 1178482305, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.