Uvalde families make presence felt at Texas governor debate

By PAUL J. WEBER
Associated Press

EDINBURG, Texas (AP) — Parents of some of the 19 children killed in the Uvalde school massacre are calling for tougher gun laws in Texas as Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke meet for their only debate. Their presence Friday in the border city of Edinburg underscored the sustained anger over one of the nation’s deadliest classroom shootings and how the tragedy has refocused a competitive race. Polls show a single-digit race, but the stakes are especially high for O’Rourke in what remains an uphill climb to become the first Democrat to win statewide office in Texas in nearly 30 years.