Beto O’Rourke, the Democratic nominee for Texas governor, referred to his Republican counterpart as a “thug” and an “authoritarian” figure on Saturday at South by SouthWest (SXSW). He also compared Texas energy executives to Russian oligarchs, accusing them of fringe politics and extremism.
Former congressman O’Rourke sat down with the Texas Tribune newspaper in Austin during SXSW and offered a few words about his campaign rival.
“He’s a thug, he’s an authoritarian. Let me make the case,” said O’Rourke, when asked what he thought about Abbott.
“Not only could this guy, through his own incompetence, not keep the lights on in the energy capital of the planet last February,” he said, “but when people like Kelcy Warren and other energy company CEOs made $11 billion in profit over five days — selling gas for 200 times the going rate — not only did [Abbott] not claw back those illegal profits, not only was there no justice for more than 700 people who were killed – who literally froze to death in their homes, outside, in their cars, people who are paying now tens of billions of dollars cumulatively to pay for the property damage that the flooding ensued caused in their homes – but he’s taking millions of dollars in payoffs.”
Warren is the CEO of Energy Transfer in Dallas, a pipeline company that made around $2.4 billion from increasing natural gas prices during February 2021, when the snowstorms in Texas knocked out electricity across most of the state.
Last month, Warren sued O’Rourke for defamation and has been outspoken about O’Rourke for criticizing his company and claiming it made illegal profits off the storm last year.
“Mr. O’Rourke’s statements are flat out false, and they appear to have been made for political gain in a desperate attempt to overcome what appears to be a weakening campaign to unseat Governor Abbott,” said Energy Transfer in a statement.
After O’Rourke’s remarks at SXSW, Governor Abbott responded very simply to his opponent’s critical messaging.
“It’s unfortunate Beto O’Rourke continues to run a campaign based on fear-mongering and tearing down Texas,” he said.
