KRGV Anchors Kristine Galvan and Rudy Mireles interviewed Gov. Greg Abbott live during Channel 5 News at 5. 

Watch the interview in the video player above. 

Galvan: We have Governor Abbott joining us now live from Austin. Governor, thank you for being with us. 

Abbott: Of course, thank you so much. 

Mireles: Governor, tomorrow you plan to be here in McAllen watching the returns come in. First question: Why is the Valley such a focus for candidates such as yourself? 

Abbott: Well, actually for me, I've made the RGV a priority since I first ran for governor back in 2014. No governor has spent more time in the RGV than I have, but this election year, in particular, we've invested additional resources, recruited more candidates and I got to tell you, we've gotten a higher turnout than we've seen before in the Rio Grande Valley. Things are looking really good for Republican candidates down there in part because there are so many people that are so frustrated with things like Biden's open border policies. They want candidates that will step up and do something about it. We expect a big celebration tomorrow night in McAllen, Texas. 

Galvan: Governor, playing off what you just said there about the president's border policies, Operation Lone Star has been a big focal point of your time in office and your campaign, but it has cost a lot of money and resources. People from all over the world are still crossing the border without permission and in record numbers. If you're re-elected tomorrow, what would it take to end Operation Lone Star?

Abbott: Well one thing that may happen tomorrow night might help end Operation Lone Star and that is the election of Republicans to lead both lead the United States House, as well as the United States Senate. They've been clear that they've been elected to control those two bodies; that they will do the things necessary to secure the border. That means, more funding for the Border Patrol, reinstatement and funding for ICE, it means building the border wall, as well as additional policies. Remember this, it was just two years ago, we had the lowest border crossings in many decades. But under President Biden, in one past year, more people have crossed the border in a single year than ever before in the history of our country. So, this is a man-made problem caused by Joe Biden that Congress can fix. If Congress fixes it, Texas will be able to ratchet back what we are trying to do to secure the border ourselves.

Mireles: Governor, turning to school security and using the example of Florida; Back in 2018 after the Parkland school shooting, we saw then-Florida governor Rick Scott, a Republican, sign a law that was passed by their Republican-controlled legislature raising the age to buy any kind of firearm to 21. That only took just a little over a month after that mass shooting. Back in 2021, you called three special sessions for election security, bail reform, and even legislation to protect people who may get banned from social media websites, but nothing this year as we approach the 6-month mark since Uvalde. Why wait for the next legislative session? Do you plan to push the legislature to do anything related to current gun laws?  

Abbott: Well, first of all, you don't need a special session to take action, and I took action immediately. For six consecutive days after the shooting, I issued directives to ensure that for one, we increase school security both in Uvalde, as well as the entire state of Texas. For another, we provided resources to deal with the emergency in Uvalde. Then, we spent week after week after week helping, not only again the people of Uvalde, but working on schools across the entire state of Texas, as well as providing additional funding for that. So, action can be taken without calling a special session. With regard to guns in particular, listen, things are different today in U.S. law than they were when Florida passed those laws. The Supreme Court issued a decision this summer, followed by other multiple decisions, including decisions in federal courts in Texas, that said that it is unconstitutional to deny 18-year-olds Second Amendment rights. So, the law is just different today than it was when Florida passed that law. 

Galvan: Governor, we want to thank you for speaking with us this afternoon. We will see you in McAllen tomorrow. 

Abbott: See you then. Take care.