SAN ANTONIO — Governor Greg Abbott held an event Thursday morning in San Antonio on the city's far east side as part of his political campaign to get re-elected. Dozens of leaders of organizations and businesses from across Texas were on hand to endorse him.
Governor Abbott held the event in a rural part of Bexar County at a warehouse at Sunbelt Material Handling on FM 1346, north of China Grove. Eight miles away in downtown, democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke held a similar campaign event surrounded by his supporters.
The Republican incumbent governor spoke after several others gave their remarks. Abbott spent a few minutes thanking numerous political action committees who have supported him.
“If you look at all of the employees for all of these associations – a majority of the private sector in Texas are represented,” he told everyone. “Texas remains the number one destination in America for economic growth. Texas now has the ninth-largest economy in the entire world."
He also spoke about employment and the pandemic and gave a shoutout to an Austin-born small business.
"More Texans have jobs than ever before in the history of our state. Our success is owed to businesses both large and small – businesses like Wally's Burger Express in Austin owned for 41 years by Robert Mayfield. Robert said that our state success didn't happen by accident. He said, 'It happened because Texas stands for free enterprise, low taxes, fewer medicine regulations and the chance to live the American dream.' He's right. Texas is the American dream.”
Abbott pointed out that Texas has the most female-owned and Black-owned businesses in the U.S.
“Everyone can succeed in Texas,” he said. “We will keep Texas the best state to live, work and run a business.”
“There’s no better leader to take us through his pandemic than Governor Abbott,” one leader said of the governor.
April Ancira, Vice President at Ancira Auto Group, was one of many local leaders who spoke at the event.
“I would like to thank the governor for all of his efforts,” Ancira said.
She said when locally family-owned businesses prosper, so does the rest of the community.
Patrick Richardson spoke on behalf of a PAC for the restaurant industry in Texas. He called Abbott a “great listener” in his response to the pandemic, citing the cocktails to go program that was approved to allow people to purchase alcohol.
The leader of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas also spoke highly of Abbott’s track record.