But that doesn’t mean both candidates weren’t able to score major points in trying to define the other during their one and only face-to-face battle. Throughout Friday night's debate in Edinburg, Abbott labeled O’Rourke a flip-flopper while O’Rourke continually emphasized that Abbott has had eight years to fix problems such as shoring up the state's shaky power grid and school violence and hasn’t been able to get it done.....

O'Rourke, who has struggled in past debates, appeared far more disciplined in staying on his message and trying make his overall case against Abbott throughout the night — something he couldn't quite manage in 2018 when he ran for the U.S. Senate......

But O’Rourke was ready, saying the border has only gotten worse as Abbott has dithered with an array of “stunts” such as busing migrants to Democrat-controlled cities and slowing trade with Mexico by ordering more vehicle inspections in a gambit that cost Texas billions in lost trade.

“We are 8 years into his time as governor, and this is what we have on our border,” O’Rourke said, adding after $4 billion of spending on Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, more migrants are crossing than before......

It goes beyond the border. After Abbott said he wanted to raise teacher pay, O’Rourke said he’s had 8 years and the state’s teachers are still underpaid by $7,500 a year. Later, Abbott said he wanted to lower property taxes. Again, O’Rourke said Abbott’s had two terms in office to address it, but tax bills continue to climb.

And O’Rourke really hammered that point home in his closing statement.

"Look, I don't think that Greg Abbott wakes up wanting to see children shot in their schools or for the grid to fail, but it's clear he is incapable or unwilling to make the changes necessary to prioritize the lives of our fellow Texans," O’Rourke said.