Texas Gov. Greg Abbott won his re-election and will now serve his third term as he defeated Democrat Beto O’Rourke in tonight’s election. 

Decision Desk HQ called the election in Abbott’s favor, with the poll leading 55.87% to 42.91% at 9 p.m. Thursday night.  

AP news called the race when Abbott led in the same 13 Texas counties that he won in 2018.  

“Tonight, Texans sent a message that they want to keep the Lone Star State the beacon of opportunity that we provided over the past eight years,” Abbott wrote on Twitter.  

Abbott spoke to McAllen residents during a victory speech.

Abbott claimed he ran his campaign for safer streets, homeowners who are burdened with skyrocketing taxes, oil workers who begged him to protect their jobs, parents who just want to choose the best school for their children and for small business owners who thanked him at every place he went to for keeping their businesses open during the pandemic.

“I ran for the farmers and ranchers who wanted a safer border in Texas,” Abbott told his supporters. “Just keep Texas, Texas.”

O’Rourke spoke to his supporters in El Paso about his vision for Texas. He wanted a Texas where every woman has a choice for their own body, where children do not have to be gunned down in school and for teachers to get paid so that they don’t have to work three jobs to survive.  

“We just want a state where people are free enough and healthy enough to pursue their potential,” O’Rourke said.  “That is still the Texas I want to live in, and I will continue to pursue it. I am in this fight for life,”