Abbott is still ahead, but O’Rourke is gaining ground.

Since the tail-end of 2021, candidates have been campaigning for the seat of governor of the state of Texas. The leading candidate is the incumbent governor, Greg Abbott, who held a sturdy lead over the opposition with at least a 52% support rate from the populace back in December.

After a gunman killed 21 people in Uvalde, Texas, students around the country wrote letters expressing their fear, sadness, and desire for change. “Please change the law I beg you,” one third grader wrote to Texas Governor Greg Abbott. https://t.co/PAPfFcJ22A

— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) June 10, 2022

However, following the events of the elementary school mass shooting in Uvalde, Abbott’s numbers have taken a noticeable hit, while his biggest competitor, Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke, has seen a gradual uptick. O’Rourke has established himself as a major counterpoint to Abbott’s stances and policies, even appearing during a meeting after the mass shooting to admonish Abbott publicly for his lack of action.

“You are doing nothing,” O’Rourke at the time. “You said this was not predictable, this was totally predictable, and you choose not to do anything.”

According to the latest survey from Quinnipiac University, Abbott is still in the lead overall, but it has become a much narrower lead compared to just a few months ago. Abbott’s support has dropped to 48%, while O’Rourke’s support has risen to 43%. The poll accounted for 1,257 registered Texan voters with a 2.8% margin of error.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s lead over Democrat Beto O’Rourke has plummeted since December, a new poll released by Quinnipiac University shows. https://t.co/wRilcXwQ04

— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) June 15, 2022

“The race tightens … Abbott, considered strong on leadership, slips. O’Rourke, considered long on empathy, rides the momentum of support from women and young Texans in the horse race to Austin,” Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said in a statement.