Beto O'Rourke is inching closer to Gov. Greg Abbott in the marquee Texas matchup this fall, according to a poll released Wednesday by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas. The Democrat from El Paso trails Abbott, a Republican who is seeking a third term, by 5 percentage points among registered voters. Abbott held a 6-point edge in June in the last UT poll. Abbott had been 10-11 points ahead of O'Rourke earlier this year. Meanwhile, other recent polls indicate Abbott holding a 7% lead. The O'Rourke campaign touted the poll as a sign of momentum in a Wednesday news release. "Beto continues to cut Greg Abbott's lead, closing the gap by six points since the spring while Abbott's support failed to budge a single point over the summer, a notable weakness for an incumbent who sits well below 50%," the campaign said in the release. Story and image: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/state/2022/09/14/texas-governor-election-greg-abbott-leads-beto-orourke-5-points/69493304007/