Beto O’Rourke speaks during a campaign appearance when he was running for the U.S. Senate. Credit: Luke Harold / Wikimedia Commons

Gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke will speak Monday at the University of Texas at San Antonio as part of a last-minute blitz to rouse support from college-age residents of the Lone Star State.

The former Democratic congressman will visit 14 Texas colleges and universities on a tour aiming to shore up support from young voters, according to his campaign. With the midterms just six weeks out, O’Rourke trails Gov. Greg Abbott, the Republican incumbent, by single digits in recent polls.

During O’Rourke’s 2018 U.S. Senate campaign, young voter turnout shot up 500% during early polling and increased by 230% overall, campaign officials said, citing PolitiFact data. The Democrat hopes to achieve a similar surge this cycle since each stop on the college tour also is an opportunity to register voters.

The candidate is expected to discuss topics including abortion rights, cannabis legalization and making higher education more affordable during his UTSA appearance. Those interested in attending can RSVP online.

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This article appears in Sep 21 – Oct 4, 2022.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...