Experts weigh in on what needs to happen to keep the Texas governor's race close

FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- With summer coming to an end, schools back in session, and voting only weeks away, we can expect to see Texas' gubernatorial race pick up.

This was on full display this week in Fort Bend County. A place where Governor Greg Abbott won by less than 500 votes four years ago.

Experts say the county is purple and could signal a path to victory for either candidate. People crammed inside the Fort Bend County fairground on Thursday to listen to gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke.

He wasn't the only candidate to visit the area. Abbott, O'Rourke's opponent, was in Richmond.

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On Saturday, Abbott met with neighbors going door-to-door. It's a move that didn't surprise Rice University political science professor Mark Jones.

"Beto O'Rourke and his campaign have put the fear of God into Abbott that he could lose this if he doesn't do everything right," Jones explained.

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Polls from early 2022 showed Abbott, with a double-digit lead, is now in the single digits. "The good thing for Beto is he's been able to keep it close, but the bad thing for Beto is he hasn't been able to narrow Abbott's advantage over the last six months," Jones said.

O'Rourke is focusing on gun laws and abortion. A trigger law recently went into effect, banning most abortions statewide.

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The day it happened, O'Rourke held a news conference. "An abortion ban with no exception for rape or incest that is not us," O'Rourke said. "That may be Greg Abbott, but it is not the people of Texas." Abbott is focused on tying O'Rourke to national democratic leaders, including President Joe Biden. His primary focus is on jobs, immigration, and inflation.

"Lower property taxes. More jobs. A safe and secure border. Safe communities," Abbott said. "Those are policies that everybody in the state of Texas supports."

Experts believe the race may hinge on if Republicans switch sides and how many young people vote. If that happens, O'Rourke could come close.

"He's maintaining it as a competitive race," Jones explained. "That is within one touchdown, an on-side kick, and a field goal."

A tight race will draw more stops and spending as voting is only weeks away.

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