TEMPLE, Texas — Two friends sat down in a living room today to talk policy.
Beto O'Rourke and Allison Dickson met a few months back in April when O'Rourke visited Temple for a town hall meeting.
Dickson was still recovering from COVID and could not attend the town hall, so O'Rourke went to her house and met her himself.
Since then, the two stayed in touch and Dickson asked O'Rourke if he would pay her another visit, but this time to talk policy and see what he has planned for Texas.
"Our friendship was growing and we kept in touch over the months and I thought we didn't really get to talk policy and issues," Dickson, a life long Temple resident, said. "I'm not a PR stunt. I have issues and concerns."
O'Rourke was drawn to Dickson primarily thanks to her motto, "I don't need easy, just need possible."
"That's the motto of this campaign, now," O'Rourke said. "I think the message is going to break through. It's the contrast to the extremism that we see from Governor Abbott right now."
The conversation between Dickson and O'Rourke streamed on Facebook Live with thousands of viewers tuning in.
O'Rourke says it's important to visit with voters because it allows him to hear about the issues plaguing different communities right from the source.
"All of us have a vested interest in doing the right thing by and for every one among us right now, and in this campaign, we're fighting for everyone and we don't care if you're a Republican, a Democrat or an Independent. Another thing Allison and I talked about is finding a way to come together and unify right now. Work with anyone, anytime, anywhere, to put this state over our party or any other difference between us."
He acknowledges that the task ahead won't be a small one. Taking down Governor Abbott in the fall might even seem unlikely to some.
O'Rourke says Dickson's motto keeps him going.
"I know it looks like a tall task, but like Allison says, I just need possible."
Dickson says her motto isn't just a tool for Democrats or Republicans, but a tool for anyone struggling to overcome.
"It's it's about hope. It's about perseverance. It's not a motto for Democrats, it's not a motto for Republicans, it's a motto for everyone."