Students filled the Davidson Gundy Alumni Center and flowed outside to hear the candidate make his case

FATIMAH AZEEM Managing Editor

MARTIN FRIEDENTHAL Mercury Staff

Democratic gubernatorial candidate

Beto O’Rourke detailed his plans for potential governorship at a packed rally of over a thousand students last Friday.

The League of United Latin American Citizens and Students for Beto hosted O’Rourke in the David Gundy Alumni Center, where he discussed hot button topics such as economics, health care and abortion rights. This was O’Rourke’s second visit to UTD, as he spoke to comets in the

SSA Auditorium during his run for senator against Ted Cruz in 2018. In November, UTD will be one of nearly 20 universities on O’Rourke’s Beto for Texas College Tour.

In painting his vision for Texas, O’Rourke highlighted his desire to legalize marijuana and end the STARR test as the crowd thrust their campaign signs into the air. Later in the speech, O’Rourke got into more polarizing subjects like condemning Abbott’s trigger laws that make abortion a felony, per the recent Dobbs v. Jackson decision.

“Don’t ever allow him to persuade you

Protester detained at post-sermon drag show

BEN NGUYEN Editor-in-Chief