EDINBURG, Texas - A war of words on the debate stage Friday night as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott faced off against the man who wants his job, Democrat Beto O'Rourke.
Friday's first and only debate lasted about an hour, where the governor and his opponent debated everything from gun control and abortion to border security and education.
"Something needs to change and I believe that's the leadership and that is new leadership and that's Beto O'Rourke," says Monica Alcantara, Bexar county's Democratic Party chair.
"When you compare him and Beto to people, one guy doesn't have a clue and the other guy has been doing it for eight years successfully," says Jeff McManus, Bexar county's Republican Party chair.
The debate happening not only on the stage in Edinburg, but at two different watch parties in San Antonio. Both Bexar county Republicans and Democrats saying they knew immigration and the border would be a talking point during the sparring of words between candidates.
Both candidates agreeing on one point in particular, but not for the same reason.
Moderator: "Should more money be allocated towards Operation Lonestar?"
O'Rourke: "No, it's clearly failed. The numbers are in, we're seeing not fewer, but more engagements at our border."
Abbott: "We shouldn't have to allocate any money for it because this is all because of Joe Biden's failure to do the president's job."
Uvalde was the center for discussion on gun control, both taking different stances on raising the minimum age to buy a firearm.
Abbott: "We want to end school shootings, but we cannot do that by making false promises. It's a false promise to suggest that we can pass a law that will be upheld by the constitution to raise the age."
O'Rourke: "Yes we can raise the age to 21 and as governor, I'll bring Republicans and Democrats around the table to do that. After all these mass shootings, this governor has done nothing."
Debate moderators asked Gov. Abbott about his reasons to create one of the strictest abortion bans in the country. His response: what are the alternatives to abortion? O'Rourke stating most Americans didn't want changes to the law.
Abbott: "To know that in the state there are alternatives to abortion programs that provide living assistance, baby supplies, all kinds of things that can help them. Also we have increased funding for prenatal and postpartum care."
O'Rourke: "It's been the law of the land for nearly 50 years until we had the most extreme abortion ban in the country."
Both sides of the aisle hoping the debate will change minds and sway votes.
"I just want to make sure that every single Democrat, liberal, Republican, you name it, knows that this is a very important time and we need everyone's vote," says Alcantara.
"I think if anything, it's going to make some people decide that Robert O'Rourke is not a qualified candidate", says McManus.