Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Issues 11th-Hour Appeal To Curb Democratic Political Strides

AUSTIN, TX — Publicly, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott doesn't betray anxiety over Donald Trump's unraveling, self-destructing presidential campaign, sticking to his endorsement of the real estate mogul he originally expressed in March, shortly after fellow Texan U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz dropped out of the race.

Privately, though — or as private as one can get in this digital world — it's another matter. Late Thursday, Abbott sent out an urgent call to donors to help defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton on Nov. 8 in a missive suffused with tones invoking the potential for outright takeover of a state rather than a smooth transition of political leadership.

"They’re coming after Texas," Abbott begins his missive to one recipient of his emailed plea. "If you had any doubts about what Democrats have planned for you and me, Hillary Clinton’s VP pick, Tim Kaine, laid them bare during a multi-day fundraising blitz across Texas," he reminds. "We must keep Texas red!"

A deeply red state as evidenced by the GOP majority in the Legislature and Congress, Texans haven't voted for a Democrat in the presidential race since Jimmy Carter's post-Watergate race when he emerged as the antithesis of Richard Nixon on the national stage. Appealing to a wide swath of anxiety-raddled voters living through the "national nightmare" referenced by Gerald Ford.

Trump's divisive and polarizing campaign has had a similar net effect. Clinton now has a one-point lead in Texas — a development that, were it any other election cycle, would've seemed implausible at best for a Democratic candidate.

"With a shocking 1-point lead here in the Lone Star State, Democrats are holding nothing back," Abbott wrote in his emailed call to action, a copy of which was provided to Patch. "In addition to the three campaign offices that Hilary Clinton’s campaign opened up in Texas earlier this year, the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C. has just announced the opening of their office in Houston."

The implications of such political machinations aren't limited to the presidential race, the governor warns. Rather, the shifting political winds might also doom the campaigns of other Republican lawmakers seeking re-election next year, Abbott warned in his letter. (As it happens, Cruz himself is poised for running to retain his seat next year, with Rep. Joaquin Castro, a rising Democratic star, floating the idea of a challenge.)

"Make no mistake, this move is not only intended to help Clinton win Texas in November, but help other down-ballot races as they set their eyes on taking over our state in taking over our state in 2018," Abbott writes.

The potential power shift in Texas threatens to undermine Republicans' signature causes, the governor noted: "Whether it’s our Constitutional rights, undermining border security, Obamacare, the job-killing EPA, or ignoring the sanctity of life, President Obama and his Washington, D.C., Democratic pals continue to do whatever they can to undermine and attack Texas values."

With a mere 25 days left until the Nov. 8 election, Abbott discloses in the letter his plan for a massive mobilization of resources to counter a "stranglehold on Texas" that's already in effect, the governor wrote.

"My goal is to organize a massive statewide effort mobilizing grassroots conservatives to defend Texas this November," Abbott wrote. "And I'm asking you to contribute to help us keep Texas red right away."

An added urgency to Abbott's missive is his inability to raise funds beginning in December given his own political aspirations, he noted: "With Texas law prohibiting me from fundraising beginning this December until as late as next June, my Democrat opponent for governor will have months upon months to leave my campaign in the dust!"

In his plea for support, Abbott stressed his efforts at curbing immigration, positing Democratic efforts as being friendly to the idea of "sanctuary cities" and embracing of a more fluid influx of migrants. His plans to deter immigration by introducing laws in the next legislative session could be thwarted if Democrats take control, he said.

"Not only that," he writes after ticking off ideas at stemming immigration, "but I’m going to do everything in my power to stop the national Democrats’ attempts to take over our state. I believe we must do everything we can to rally Texans to fight for the values and freedoms we cherish."

In the letter, Abbott promotes his hoped-for conservative ideals in state leadership at the risk of personal peril: "But for daring to take on these battles, I'm making myself a target."

The stakes are high, and he needs campaign cash to counter the Democratic threat, he tells the letter's recipient.

"And now the Democrats see Texas as a 'toss-up' state because of their shocking lead in the latest poll," he acknowledges in concluding the letter. "Please, [name withheld], please make your most generous contribution IMMEDIATELY!"

The caps are his, and the behind-the-scenes anxiety over what has turned into an exceedingly interesting — if sometimes challenging to witness — political season is real.

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