Houston Chronicle by Jeremy Blackman Nov. 14, 2020
Four months ago, Gov. Greg Abbott was facing the toughest stretch of his political career. Coronavirus infections were surging across Texas, factions of his political party were openly revolting against his response, and for the first time since taking office, it seemed as though the state’s most popular Republican was suddenly not so popular.
But after helping the GOP dominate this month in a slew of contentious state House races, the governor appears to have emerged unscathed, with whispers from fellow Republicans about a run for higher office.
“I started getting some calls this weekend from friends outside of the state saying, ‘Hey, do you think your governor might be looking at the 2024 race?’†said Ray Sullivan, a Republican strategist who has worked on four presidential campaigns. “So I can tell you, from my experience, that national inquiry has already started.â€
Abbott has not even officially launched his re-election campaign for 2022, but already there is speculation about whether he could mount an effective presidential bid in four years — rumblings that the governor seems happy to encourage.
Asked in a television interview Wednesday in Dallas about a potential run, he said, “The first step is to win re-election,†and after that, “we’ll see what happens.â€
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