Abbott launches re-election bid, says 'liberals are trying to mess with Texas' Republican incumbent sitting on a $30 million campaign warchest



Click through to see the bills he has vetoed so far in 2017. Greg Abbott formally launched his re-election campaign for governor of Texas on Friday in San Antonio.

Click through to see the bills he has vetoed so far in 2017. Greg Abbott formally launched his re-election campaign for governor of Texas on Friday in San Antonio. Image 1 of / 18 Caption Close Abbott launches re-election bid, says 'liberals are trying to mess with Texas' 1 / 18 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO - This was more than just one candidate's campaign kickoff event.

When Gov. Greg Abbott took to the microphone here with his wife and daughter by his side, it served as a symbolic flag drop for the 2018 election cycle in which the Republican Party in Texas -- long dominant in state politics -- faces unique divisions, uncertain effects from President Donald Trump's ascension and a Democratic Party convinced that 2018 will be their year to finally loosen the GOP's stranglehold.

Abbott used his nearly 24-minute speech at Sunset Station in downtown to declare what most have known since February.

"To keep Texas the the very best state in the United States, I'm running for re-election," Abbott told more than 300 supporters.

The next election is almost 16 months away, but political experts say the demands of raising money and building up name recognition in a state as big as Texas force candidates to get moving earlier and earlier.

While Abbott already is sitting on more than $30 million for his re-election and has plenty of name identification, his early declaration helps build momentum and forestall challengers -- from either Democrats or Republicans, said University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus.

"Everyone is fighting for the same media space," Rottinghaus said.

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Abbott's announcement comes just as U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and his likely 2018 Democratic rival Beto O'Rourke were holding dueling political events around the state, and campaign fundraising for state and federal offices are hitting a fever pitch as candidates trying to show they have momentum heading into 2018.

For candidates who have a real shot at winning next year, this is the time campaigns really have to be dialing for dollars and beginning to build a network, Rottinghaus said.

"It can seem like the campaign season never ends," he said of Americans still trying to recover from last year's presidential elections.

Abbott doesn't even have a clear Democratic challenger yet. Still, there he was in San Antonio, warning his supporters that Democrats are on the march and believe they can make inroads in Texas despite nearly 25 years of GOP dominance.

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"Liberals think that they have found a cracks in our armor," Abbott said.

He pointed to Democrat gains in both Harris and Bexar counties as proof. He won both counties easily in his first campaign for governor in 2014. But in 2016, he noted that Hillary Clinton won both and that Democrats also dominated countywide elections in Harris County.

"My friends, let me tell you, liberals are trying to mess with Texas," Abbott said.

To be sure, Democrats have a big challenge ahead of them in 2018 even as President Donald Trump struggles with low public approval ratings that many Republican fear will hurt the GOP at the ballot box in 2018. Democrats haven't had anyone in the governor's mansion since Ann Richards left in 1995. They haven't won any statewide election in Texas since 1994.

Still they think they have an opening to exploit.

"After 2016, Texas is a single-digit state and more Democrats are fired up than ever before," said Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa. "The Texas Republican establishment is crumbling."

But Abbott's acknowledgement of potential "cracks" comes at a time GOP leaders in Texas have struggled to get on the same page. Nowhere has that been more apparent than in the Texas Legislature where House Speaker Joe Straus and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick have continued to jab at one another over what priorities the party should be focused on.

After the legislative session ended with many key GOP priorities not passing, Abbott ordered lawmakers back to Austin starting Tuesday to again try to reach agreement on everything from transgender bathroom policies, to property tax reform to school funding issues.

At one point, many speculated Patrick might try to challenge Abbott. But over the last several months, Abbott has been shifting more aggressively to the right and leaving Patrick with less political space to challenge Abbott, Rottinghaus said.

Patrick has said he's not running against Abbott, but it has neither stopped speculation or Abbott's rightward march. He said at one point people saw Abbott and his judicial background as one that could find middle ground between the legislative leaders. But of late, Rottinghaus said it's clear Abbott is following the momentum of the GOP to the right.

In his campaign announcement, Abbott highlighted conservative hallmarks: vowing to defend gun rights, opposing abortion and continuing to battle sanctuary city policies.

"We finally have banned sanctuary cities," Abbott said to rousing applause.

In picking San Antonio to make his announcement on Friday, the 59 year old attorney was choosing a time and place steeped with symbolism.

Four years ago to the day, Abbott, the former state attorney general, first announced he would run for governor. And the city has big personal meaning for him, given his wife Cecilia is from San Antonio and they were married in the Alamo City in 1981.

On Saturday, Abbott heads to McAllen for more campaign events.