The Abbott Texas GOP convention speech on Friday delivered a fiery preview of the governor’s fall campaign strategy, as Greg Abbott vowed to “demolish” Democrats in November’s midterms and laid out a sweeping agenda aimed at energizing his party’s base.

Speaking before thousands of delegates at the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston, Abbott leaned hard into a single theme: tying his opposition to what he branded “Bernie Sanders socialism.”

A Roadmap for the Fall Campaign

Abbott used the stage to roll out his legislative priorities and sharpen his attacks. He signaled the party may move to close its primaries to registered Republicans only—a longtime goal of GOP activists who worry Democrats are crossing over to boost moderate candidates.

He also revived several familiar priorities, calling on lawmakers to:

• Ban local governments from sending lobbyists to Austin, a practice critics call taxpayer-funded lobbying
• Adopt his framework for regulating data centers
• Push forward with property tax cuts
• Take a tougher stance on immigration

Throughout, Abbott painted Democrats and their U.S. Senate nominee, Rep. James Talarico of Austin, as radical socialists attempting to rebrand from what he framed as a lax border approach under the Biden administration. That earlier surge in illegal crossings, he argued, helped Republicans make significant gains with Latino voters along the border.

Confident, Cash-Rich, and Dismissive of His Rival

With nearly $100 million sitting in his campaign account, Abbott projected total confidence. Notably, he never once mentioned his own November opponent, Rep. Gina Hinojosa of Austin. He did, however, take a swipe at the Democratic ticket’s hometown, mocking it as the “People’s Republic of Austin.”

“Unity is going to drive victory this November,” Abbott told the roaring crowd, promising that “together, we will demolish the Democrats” and “keep Texas, Texas.”

The Fight Over Closed Primaries

Abbott’s push to require party registration arrived at a pivotal moment. It came just two weeks after Secretary of State Jane Nelson—the state’s top elections officer and an Abbott appointee—announced she would step down in July.

The Republican Party of Texas had actually sued Nelson to force the primaries closed, driven by fears that Democrats were infiltrating GOP contests to elevate more moderate candidates. Abbott has not yet named her successor, but party activists are hoping the next secretary of state will drop the agency’s legal opposition and let the courts seal off the primaries.

An Ambitious To-Do List

Now seeking an unprecedented fourth term, Abbott outlined a long list of priorities for both lawmakers and the activists set to shape the party’s legislative agenda on Saturday.

He declared that Harris County would turn red again, pledging to pour $25 million into the effort and campaign “block by block, door to door.”

On immigration, Abbott called for codifying his executive order that froze new H-1B visa applications from state agencies and public universities. He wants that freeze extended to “all state and local governments,” declaring that “Texas jobs should only go to Texans.”

He paired that with a broader fiscal pitch, touting a property tax package that would require two-thirds voter approval for any property tax increase, alongside tighter limits on city and county spending.

Sharia Law and Sharp Contrasts

Some of the convention’s loudest moments came when Abbott turned to cultural flashpoints. He accused Democrats of supporting Sharia law and drew thunderous applause by calling for it to be outlawed entirely, along with expanded authority for the attorney general’s office to address the issue.

“The contrast between what Republicans have passed and how Democrats have voted is shocking,” Abbott said, warning it should serve as “a five-alarm warning to anybody thinking about voting for Democrats.”

The Democratic Response

Hinojosa, his Democratic challenger, wasted no time firing back, dismissing the speech as “hypocritical, boring, and stuck in the past.”

She argued that Abbott ignored the issues weighing on everyday Texans—rising health care costs, climbing utility rates, and an American Dream she said has slipped out of reach after 12 years of his leadership. As governor, she pledged to strengthen public schools, hold down utility costs for working families, and guarantee health care for every Texas child.

Meanwhile, the speech landed well with parts of the GOP grassroots. Conservative political consultant Luke Macias praised Abbott for “standing alongside the grassroots and leading” on the drive to close the state’s primaries—a sign that, at least within his own base, the governor’s combative message is hitting home as the long road to November begins.