Texas Gov. Abbott says choice between Talarico and Paxton is 'easy'

Abbott also spoke with ABC News’ Jonathan Karl about Trump’s job performance.

With just 72 days to go until November's midterm elections, some Republicans find themselves worried about losing Texas -- a state President Donald Trump won by nearly 14 percentage points in 2024. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is not one of them.

Abbott sat down with ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl on Friday at the Texas governor's mansion in Austin, Texas, and made clear he believes Texas voters will see this election as a contrast between Democrats and Republicans.

"What matters in elections is not in August, what matters in elections is November," Abbott said. "There's a choice at the ballot box. And when those voters go in, they're going to choose between common sense that's offered by Republicans versus the crazy that's offered by the Democrats."

Abbott emphasizes that contrast several times throughout the interview -- including when asked about the president's job performance, gas prices, the Texas Senate race and even who should lead the Republican Party after Trump.

The Texas governor's remarks come as a Texas Pulse poll conducted in late July found that the GOP's decades-long grip on the state of Texas could be at risk. In the poll of the Senate race, Democrat and state Rep. James Talarico led Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton by four points: 47% to 43%. In that same poll, Abbott -- who is running for a fourth term as governor -- led his Democratic challenger, State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, by one point, 46% to 45%.

Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican who has been in competitive races himself, told Abbott on a radio show in July that Talarico has "a real chance" to win.

Despite polls suggesting Abbott could be in a tight race, Abbott never once mentioned his Democratic opponent during the interview, while he mentioned Talarico's name several times.

Abbott emphasized his belief that voters will ultimately decide to vote for Paxton after learning more about Talarico's record, which he called "crazy."

"[Paxton] was in a three-month-long runoff that demanded capital, it demanded campaigning, demanded his attention, and so he's just now catching up in the campaign process with Talarico," Abbott said. "When voters really learn about the Talarico record, they're gonna be rushing to vote for Ken Paxton."

Talarico has repeatedly attacked Paxton for his record, which includes being impeached by the GOP-led Texas House in 2023. Paxton was acquitted by the Texas Senate.

Still, midterm elections are typically seen as a referendum on the president. Trump's approval rating -- which reached a record low of 35% in a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll -- could drag down Republicans even in a state like Texas.

Karl asked Abbott about Trump's record on bringing down prices -- a top issue for voters in the midterms -- especially amid the war with Iran and elevated fuel costs.

Abbott said in a post on X in early July that gas prices in Texas would drop below $2 per gallon by the end of the summer.