COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas Gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke stopped in College Station Wednesday for the second day of his college tour as he wraps up his campaign ahead of the November election.
More than 1,500 people were inside, and another 600 were waiting outside the Rudder Theatre on Texas A&M University's campus.
"I am convinced that young people are going to win this next election, not just for a candidate or a political party, but for the future of this state," O'Rourke said. "Their lives, our lives are on the line in this election. We must vote for change and that's why I'm so confident that we're going to win."
The former congressman spoke on some of the biggest issues facing the state including abortion rights, school safety, and voter suppression. In this year's Texas primaries, over 18,000 mail-in ballots were rejected, according to the Texas Tribune.
"Their ballots were sent back to them rejected or thrown away," O'Rourke said. "If that happened in Russia, or Saudi Arabia, or Iran or North Korea, we'd say that figures those aren't real democracies, but that's happening right here today, in Texas."
Voter suppression has recently become a big talking point for Texas A&M students, with the Brazos county commissioners' court moving the university's only early voting location from the MSC to College Station City Hall.
"You know, there should be an early voting location right here, given the number of people who want to be able to vote and the number of them who don't have access to an automobile to get somewhere else," O'Rourke said. "My money and my faith is on the students here and they're going to find a way to overcome whatever it takes. They're going to get out there to vote."
According to a poll from the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation, Governor Abbott leads 51% to 44% among likely voters, and 53% to 43% among the most likely voters. Only 3% of likely voters and 2% of most likely voters are undecided.