SAN ANTONIO — Greg Abbott has everything going his way.

On Friday, the Texas governor will enter the state Republican convention in the best political position of his long career.

Two years ago, at the same convention, his young term as Texas' top executive was nagged by rumors that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, or someone else, would challenge him for re-election in the 2018 GOP primary.

That year, Republicans were caught up in a presidential election that featured the emergence of New York businessman Donald Trump, who seized the party's presidential primary against Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and then beat Hillary Clinton for the White House. During that time, it was Patrick who was center stage, taking a major role in Trump's campaign and leading the Texas delegation to the national GOP convention in Cleveland after Abbott suffered burns in an accident.

But before the 2017 legislative session, Patrick vowed that he would not run against Abbott. The governor scored points with hard-right conservatives by his full-throated call for a sanctuary cities law. Then he brought lawmakers back to Austin that summer for an ambitious special session that included consideration of legislation that would have limited where transgender Texans could use the bathroom in public.

After that, there were no major challenges to Abbott's re-election and donors kicked in over $40 million to his campaign. The only person standing in his way for another four-year term is former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, the Democratic nominee for governor.

"He's a governor with a smile on his face. He couldn't be happier," said veteran Republican consultant Bill Miller. "He didn't get flanked and he solidified his base. He's in command and he's enjoying the moment."

But while Abbott has conquered Republican politics, critics say his policies and actions have veered too far right — so much that he's become "a governor to the fringe and not the people."

Valdez has challenged Abbott to use his convention speech Friday to stand up to the extreme wing of his party.

"We need to stop the hate," Valdez told The Dallas Morning News. "If he's really a leader and a hero, then he needs to take the step forward to stop some of this hate. People follow the leaders and you lead by example. He needs to go into that conference and stop the hate and the degrading that happens."

But Dave Carney, the longtime political strategist for the governor, fired back at Valdez, saying she has vanished from the campaign trail like D.B. Cooper, the epithet for an unidentified man who in 1971 hijacked a plane near Portland, Ore., extorted $200,000 in ransom and was never seen again after he parachuted from the aircraft.

"She is committed to raising taxes and billions of dollars in new spending," Carney said. "And Where is Lupe Valdez?"

Carney added that Abbott's 2014 opponent, former state Sen. Wendy Davis, "wasn't a flaming liberal progressive" and "couldn't win a primary in this environment."

"We have a target-rich environment," Carney said of the re-election campaign. "We've got to work on enthusiasm and run on the governor's record of accomplishments. It's not easier. It's different."

Finding his voice

Abbott, a former Texas attorney general and Supreme Court justice, has had a long career in state and GOP politics.

Of the pre-tea party Republicans who dominated the era before the election of Democrat Barack Obama as president, Abbott and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn are the only major Texas figures still on the statewide political scene.

Just as Rick Perry before him, he survived the party's transition from business-minded Republicans like George W. Bush to the hard-right activists who emerged during the 2010 tea party movement to the emergence of Trump's populism.

Unlike Perry, though, Abbott was more reserved, seemingly content to watch as Patrick became more visible, particularly during the legislative session.

But Abbott has always been able to ride the political tide, and he made overtures to tea party conservatives that he would be with them. His stand on border security and immigration scored him points, as did his pledge to curb rising property taxes.

And to the dismay of some business leaders, he embraced what they described as an intolerant and discriminatory "bathroom bill" that targeted transgender residents. That bill died in the 2017 special session — along with some of the 20 priorities Abbott set for the 30-day session. The bathroom bill was opposed by House Speaker Joe Straus and much of the state's business elite.

But while business leaders urged Abbott to see things their way, they didn't criticize him in the same way they did Patrick.

In an unusual move, Abbott said he'd be taking names of House members who didn't back his 20 items.

During the primary season, Abbott ventured into House and Senate races with endorsements, raising eyebrows when he targeted three House incumbents for defeat by endorsing their opponents. He went 1-for-3: Reps. Sarah Davis of West University Place and Lyle Larson of San Antonio defeated their challengers while Rep. Wayne Faircloth of Galveston lost badly.

Davis and Larson angered Abbott by pushing ethics bills that would limit the governor's ability to collect campaign contributions from people he appoints to state boards and commissions, such as the parks board and the University of Texas board of regents.

And even as Abbott responded to the 2015 Jade Helm military exercises in Bastrop County by ordering the Texas Guard to monitor the activity, former Republican state Rep. Todd Smith accused Abbott of "pandering to idiots."

"Greg Abbott has been so far to the right that he's indistinguishable from Dan Patrick," said state Rep. Chris Turner, D-Arlington, and chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.

Turner blasted Abbott for not effectively pushing adequate public financing for schools, signing the sanctuary cities law and his support of the ill-fated bathroom bill.

"He's the governor for his tea party base and politically he's accomplished what he's wanted to accomplish," Turner said. "Unfortunately it's the people of Texas who have paid the price."

But former Denton County Republican Party Chairman Dianne Edmondson, a GOP nominee for Denton County Commission, said Abbott represents the views of most Texans.

"He's definitely appealing to the conservative wing of the party and has carried through on his promises," she said as she watched the early speeches on the convention floor. "He's certainly going to get four more years. After that, it's all up to him."

Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, said the mood at the convention is that Abbott developed a bold, conservative vision and kept his word.

"Promises made, promises kept," Leach said at the convention. "Gov. Abbott deserves credit for his leadership. The party is united and ready to go in November."

1 / 7Howard Satterwhite installs a sign at the entrance in preparation for the opening of the GOP state convention at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. The convention runs Thursday through Saturday. (Billy Calzada) 2 / 7THe red, white and blue was everywhere as delegates arrived at the 2018 Texas GOP Convention held at the Henry B. Gonzâ¡lez Convention Center in downtown San Antonio. Texas on Thursday, June 14, 2018. (Louis DeLuca/The Dallas Morning News)(Louis DeLuca / Staff Photographer) 3 / 7The Permanent Platform Committee covenes in the afternoon during the 2018 Texas GOP Convention held at the Henry B. Gonzâ¡lez Convention Center in downtown San Antonio. Texas on Thursday, June 14, 2018. (Louis DeLuca/The Dallas Morning News)(Louis DeLuca / Staff Photographer) 4 / 7A variety of tee shirts are displayed for sale at the 2018 Texas GOP Convention held at the Henry B. Gonzâ¡lez Convention Center in downtown San Antonio. Texas on Thursday, June 14, 2018. (Louis DeLuca/The Dallas Morning News)(Louis DeLuca / Staff Photographer) 5 / 7A variety of buttons are available at the 2018 Texas GOP Convention held at the Henry B. Gonzâ¡lez Convention Center in downtown San Antonio. Texas on Thursday, June 14, 2018. (Louis DeLuca/The Dallas Morning News)(Louis DeLuca / Staff Photographer) 6 / 7Dr. Gene Howard, wears a coonskin cap as he channels his inner John Wayne at the 2018 Texas GOP Convention held at the Henry B. Gonzâ¡lez Convention Center in downtown San Antonio. Texas on Thursday, June 14, 2018. (Louis DeLuca/The Dallas Morning News)(Louis DeLuca / Staff Photographer) 7 / 7The convention logo is silhouetted in the afternoon light in the atrium at the 2018 Texas GOP Convention held at the Henry B. Gonzâ¡lez Convention Center in downtown San Antonio. Texas on Thursday, June 14, 2018. (Louis DeLuca/The Dallas Morning News)(Louis DeLuca / Staff Photographer)

Abbott's agenda

Abbott is heavily favored to win re-election against Valdez, who at the moment doesn't have the resources or solid foundation to compete, analysts say.

Carney, his top political strategist, said the governor wants to use the campaign to make inroads with "nontraditional Republican voters."

Abbott, whose wife is of Hispanic descent, has said that he believes he can win a large share of Hispanic voters, even though Valdez's hopes involve her comfortably winning Latino voters.

The incumbent governor also wants a decisive victory over Valdez in the era of Trump to cement his own legacy. It would also pave the way for him to become a national figure.

"Clearly we have our own brand, our own agenda and our own record to run on," Carney said.

Abbott said he'll run a "full force" campaign to turn out voters who will help the entire Republican ticket, including down-ballot Republicans in North Texas.

Dallas County is the scene of several critical House races. And his appointee for Dallas County district attorney, Faith Johnson, faces a tough re-election bid against former state District Judge John Creuzot.

From a legislative standpoint, Abbott has proposed capping local property taxes, protecting schools against gun violence, a public safety plan to curb human trafficking and help for military veterans. Abbott said he'll develop a school finance plan later this year.

Miller, the GOP political consultant, said Abbott could have a future beyond Texas, if that's what he wants.

"He could very easily be picked to be on a national ticket," Miller said.