Watch: Gubernatorial candidate, Beto O’Rourke, kicks off campaign tour across Texas in El Paso

EL PASO, Texas — Candidate for governor of Texas, Beto O’Rourke is kicking off his 49-day statewide tour today.

O’Rourke’s first stop: El Paso, his hometown.

During the rally, O’Rourke touched on numerous topics including healthcare, immigration, gun violence and abortion rights.

Over 455 people were present on the first night of his campaign tour. The candidate talked to his supporters about the upcoming election. 

“We all did not only everything we could to overcome this, we did everything we could to overcome this and then we overcame and won this election,” O’Rourke said. 

The candidate talked about immigration and how he plans to address the issue in office. 

“Immigrants are our greatest asset, the reason why El Paso is such an amazing community and Texas a great state. If you want to come here to work, to join your family, to seek asylum, to petition for refuge, there’s got to be a lawful, orderly, safe and quick way to do that.”

The Democratic gubernatorial candidate also touched on gun violence. 

“After that massacre in our community, do you think he did anything other than offering his thoughts and prayers and offering a special committee? You know what he did? He signed a bill into law that would allow you to get a loaded gun in public without a background check, vetting."

O'Rourke urged supporters in El Paso to elect him. 

“The only thing that will change the course that we are on is to change the people in power,” he said.

If elected in November, O’Rourke said his first order of business will be improving the Texas power grid. 

He is set to travel more than 5,600 miles. The candidate will be holding 70 events across 65 counties in the state, including small towns and big cities.

The "49-day Drive for Texas" will focus on, according to the O'Rourke campaign, “uniting Texans to overcoming Abbott’s extremism.”

According to his office, when O’Rourke was running for Texas senator, he visited all 254 counties in the state.

Last Friday, O’Rourke reported raising nearly $32 million during the first half of 2022, outraising Gov. Greg Abbott.