Beto campaigns in Vernon

Beto O’Rourke, Texas gubernatorial candidate for the Democratic party, made a campaign stop in Vernon on Friday, where he met with a packed house in downtown Vernon.
“We were really impressed with the turnout and the quality of questions asked. I always enjoy coming to Vernon. It has great, friendly people, even when we disagree on an issue,” O’Rourke said in a follow-up interview with the Vernon Record’s Daniel Walker.
O’Rourke is the first major party governor candidate to hold a campaign rally in Vernon since George W. Bush held an event at the Wilbarger Auditorium more than 25 years ago.
O’Rourke said one of the best questions he received while campaigning across the state

Beto O’Rourke, Texas gubernatorial candidate for the Democratic party, fields questions and poses for photos at a campaign event on March 18, 2022 in downtown Vernon.

came Friday. It regarded immigration and it came from a Republican voter.
“He wanted to know about the border and asked how we could get a guest-worker program. I can assure you that with raising three kinds on the border in El Paso, I want to make sure it is secure, and that anyone who comes over it is following our laws. We need to protect Texas from those trafficking in drugs and from human trafficking,” he said. “At the same time, we need policies that reflect our values and our interests. We need a guest worker program that works for our farmers, industries, and businesses. And we need a real legal path to citizenship; it shouldn’t take 20 years of standing in line for those trying to do it legally. As governor, I will bring the best minds, the best ideas, from both democrats and republicans to create a plan for Texas — Texas should be the leader for the whole nation on immigration.”

See more of the candidate’s conversation in the Vernon Record print edition.