Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday announced a state disaster declaration for El Paso County following damaging floods this week before turning his attention to property tax cuts, border security and attacks on his Democratic opponent during a campaign rally in West El Paso.
Abbott, 68, addressed hundreds of supporters at a packed Rosa’s Cantina, 3454 Doniphan Drive, five days before the Nov. 3 general election in which Abbott is seeking a fourth term as Texas governor against state Rep. Gina Hinojosa. He first took office as governor in 2015.
Abbott opened his remarks by addressing the flooding that damaged homes and forced evacuations earlier this week in parts of El Paso County, including Northwest El Paso and in the Horizon City area.
“Just before coming in here, I issued a state disaster declaration for El Paso County,” Abbott said. “I want you to know Texas will be with El Paso every step of the way.”
The state declaration follows a local disaster declaration issued Tuesday by El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego. Abbott also directed state emergency management officials Wednesday to activate resources in anticipation of additional severe weather in El Paso.
The governor’s rally came one day after Hinojosa toured the University of Texas at El Paso and held a rally near Downtown El Paso, where she criticized Abbott’s handling of data center development and pledged to provide financial relief to Texas households.
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Abbott used much of his speech Thursday to contrast his record with Hinojosa’s, portraying the Democratic nominee as too liberal for Texas and urging supporters to turn out in the final days of voting.
“We’re here today to make sure we do everything necessary to keep Texas, Texas,” Abbott said.
Abbott pitches property tax cuts
Abbott said Texas has added 2.6 million jobs since he became governor in 2015, citing Texas Workforce Commission data. He also touted previous voter-approved property tax relief measures while promising further reductions if he’s reelected.
The governor said he wants to eliminate school district property taxes on homeowners’ primary residences, reduce the annual cap on increases in appraised home values from 10% to 3%, and require two-thirds voter approval for local property tax increases.
“We will completely eliminate using your homestead to fund public education,” Abbott said. “That’s not the responsibility of your homestead. That’s the responsibility of the state of Texas.”
Public school advocates and educators have criticized Abbott for not better funding public schools during his years in office, including most recently with his support of vouchers that are redirecting state funds away from them.
Eliminating school district property taxes on homesteads would require a constitutional amendment approved by Texas voters. The proposal would shift billions of dollars in annual public education costs from property taxpayers to the state. Abbott has proposed using state revenue surpluses to cover those costs, although it’s not clear how the state would sustain that funding in future years.
Abbott said his proposed property tax reforms would save the average Texas homeowner more than $3,000 annually. He also touted proposals aimed at lowering homeowners, auto and health insurance costs.
The governor also attacked Hinojosa’s voting record, accusing her of supporting a state income tax, an inheritance tax and higher property taxes.
“Gina voted for an income tax in the state of Texas,” Abbott said. “That should be disqualifying for anybody running for governor.”
Hinojosa voted against a 2019 constitutional amendment prohibiting a state income tax, but has said she doesn’t support implementing a state income tax. Reversing the constitutional ban on a state income tax would require a two-thirds vote in both chambers of the state Legislature and approval by Texas voters.
At her El Paso rally Wednesday, Hinojosa proposed sending $1,500 to every Texas household using money from the state’s rainy day fund, suspending state taxes on gasoline and diesel, and increasing funding for public schools.
READ MORE: Gina Hinojosa targets Abbott’s data center record, promises financial relief at El Paso rally
Abbott didn’t discuss data centers at his rally Thursday. But the governor, who previously promoted Texas as a destination for data center investment, issued guidelines in August aimed at making data center developers pay for their own electricity infrastructure to avoid household utility bill increases, as well as limiting tax incentives for the facilities.
Immigration, public safety
Abbott also devoted a big chunk of his rally to immigration and border security, criticizing former President Joe Biden’s policies and highlighting his administration’s efforts to reduce unauthorized crossings along the Texas-Mexico border.
He praised state laws targeting human trafficking, restricting sanctuary cities and preventing foreign nationals and entities associated with China, Russia and Iran from buying land in Texas.
The governor accused Hinojosa of supporting Islamic religious law, citing a recommendation for Texans to vote for her by CAIR Action, the political affiliate of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights organization Abbott designated a foreign terrorist organization under Texas law in 2025. The organization has not received that designation from the federal government.
Hinojosa has rejected Abbott’s accusation that she supports imposing Sharia law, saying in an interview with CNN this week that she supports American and Texas law.
Final push for El Paso voters
Near the end of his speech, Abbott urged supporters to download Abbott Impact, a campaign app designed to get more Texans to vote by connecting volunteers with friends, family members and neighbors who have not yet voted.
The app allows users to match their phone contacts with Texas’ public voter records to see who has cast a ballot and send reminders to those who haven’t – Abbott’s effort to increase Republican turnout through personal outreach in the final days of the election.
Abbott remained at Rosa’s Cantina after the rally as a line formed to take photos with supporters.
The governor has made several campaign visits to El Paso this year, seeking support in a county that has historically favored Democratic candidates. In the 2022 governor’s race, El Paso Democrat Beto O’Rourke carried 63% of the vote in El Paso County even as Abbott comfortably won reelection statewide.
Hinojosa has also made repeated visits to El Paso as her campaign seeks to mobilize Democratic voters in the final days of the election.
Abbott ended his speech Thursday by directing supporters to a nearby early voting location at the Shoppes at Solana about a mile north of Rosa’s Cantina.
“I can roll over there in five minutes,” Abbott said. “After all, I am Governor Hot Wheels, right?”
Early voting ends Friday, Oct. 30, with Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The post Embracing ‘Hot Wheels’ moniker, Abbott announces El Paso disaster declaration, targets Hinojosa at Westside rally appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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