Republicans are setting themselves up for a disappointing 2024 election cycle with House GOP shenanigans and the likelihood of embracing a retread loser for the top of the ticket. But at least one Republican is already making a positive impact: Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX).
Democrats in New York are lamenting that the surge in illegal immigration is going to be used as a political weapon in the same way the crime surge from 2020 to 2022 was during the 2022 midterm elections. This is, of course, because Abbott has been sending illegal immigrants from Texas to New York in order to ease the strain on Texas border towns and help illegal immigrants reach a “sanctuary” city that is inviting them to cross the border illegally.
Both are self-inflicted problems for Democrats. Crime, for example, only became an election topic because liberal prosecutors decided they didn’t want to prosecute career criminals or “quality of life” crimes that make people’s lives worse. But immigration is one New York Democrats thought they would never have to deal with the consequences of, given their distance from the border.
All of that changed when Abbott and Gov. Doug Ducey (R-AZ) started sending illegal immigrants to sanctuary cities to show them what their policies actually looked like in practice. Ducey ended up being replaced by a Democrat (thanks, Kari Lake), but Abbott continued to help illegal immigrants get to the sanctuary cities they wanted to reach.
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Now, New York Democrats are worried not just because those illegal immigrants are straining their city’s resources but because Abbott has effectively turned Democratic Mayor Eric Adams into a walking GOP campaign ad. Adams said in September, “This issue will destroy New York City. … The city we knew, we’re about to lose.” The share of New York City voters who are concerned about the city being overwhelmed by illegal immigrants is up to 85%, a 22-point increase from 10 months ago.
Both the electoral environment (if former President Donald Trump is the GOP nominee) and New York Democrats getting a second crack at redistricting bode ill for New York Republicans, but Abbott is making his mark from down in Texas. He is already the early MVP for Republicans in this cycle. The only question is if Republicans will waste his performance.