Abbott and O’Rourke clash on abortion and immigration in Texas debate

Democratic challenger aiming to wrest governorship away from rightwing Abbott in November election

Immigration, abortion and border security all came up in Friday's contentious, rapid-paced gubernatorial debate in Texas, where Beto O'Rourke is trying to help the Democrats wrest back the far-right leaning state from Greg Abbott and the Republicans.

Abbott and his challenger O'Rourke kept their sole debate fierce and lively in spite of an almost completely empty venue on the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley campus in Edinburg. The lack of a meaningful audience was one of several conditions imposed by the governor, according to O'Rourke's camp, who described the offer to debate as a take it or leave it" type of deal.