Midterms 2018: Texas candidate Beto O'Rourke talks down heckler who screams 'you approve of abortions' during speech

With less than a month before the midterm elections and just one day before a final debate between Texas Senate candidates Beto O’Rourke and Ted Cruz, tensions can be felt about a possible blue wave threatening reliably red seats in the Lone Star state.

Democrat Mr O’Rourke is making a final push to have his stance on the issues heard — and so are Texans.

Mr O’Rourke visited San Antonio to meet voters on Monday evening at Plaza Guadalupe, an open-air art venue located in the heart of the southern city, where he spoke about issues ranging from immigration to equal rights. The diverse crowd cheered while standing in the rain, except for one female heckler, who began screaming halfway into the speech.

“You approve of abortions!” she yelled near the front of the stage.

Several members of the audience attempted to silence her; however, Mr O’Rourke appeared calm as he engaged with the agitator.

“I believe in a woman’s choice,” he responded, before going on to discuss the importance of access to women’s health care. The woman remained for a short time before leaving, without being escorted by security.

The level-headed response reflected an approach the congressman has taken throughout his campaign to unseat the incumbent Republican senator; instead of shying away from taboo issues like abortion, Mr O’Rourke has engaged constituents on either side of the political spectrum with a unifying message.

“Reasonable people can disagree on this issue. Let’s begin there,” he said in a speech discussing NFL players who took a kneel during the National Anthem, adding, “and it makes them no less American to come down on a different conclusion on this issue, right?”

It remains unclear if Texas is ready for a progressive like Mr O’Rourke; a Democrat hasn’t been elected statewide since 1994.

Another demonstrator stirred controversy over the issue of abortion during the National Anthem at the Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars game on Sunday night, as he held a sign reading “Stop abortion” while shouting “Vote Republican”.

Still, Mr O’Rourke’s once-long-shot campaign for US Senate has caused the Cook Political Report to update its rating in the heated race to “toss up,” as he continues making a case for his positions.

For some voters, his method might be working.

“I was really taken by the unity,” Joanne Sylvania, a Texas voter who attended Mr O’Rourke’s speech on Monday, told The Independent. “And the fact that several times he said, ‘You can be Republican, Democrat, independent, whatever; let’s just work for the nation.”

Christine Luna, a San Antonio native, said she was impressed by Mr O’Rourke’s response to the heckler.

“He touched on so many points and was clear, especially with a woman yelling ‘abortion’ in his face,” she said. “I think he was very clear in his stance: he is not for abortion, he is for choice.”

After a moment, she added, “It’s not an oxymoron to be a Democrat and to be pro-life.”

Democratic voter turnout has doubled across the state in 2018, while Mr O’Rourke’s campaign has broken the record for the biggest fundraising haul in one three-month period ever recorded in a senate race - $38m. He trails Mr Cruz by seven per cent, according to the latest polls.

“The people of Texas in all 254 counties are proving that when we... come together not as Republicans or Democrats but as Texans and Americans, there’s no stopping us,” his team said in a statement about his fundraising record.