Gregory Wayne Abbott (born November 13, 1957) is an American attorney who has served as the 48th governor of Texas since January 20, 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Abbott previously served as the 50th attorney general of Texas from 2002 to 2015. He is the third governor of any U.S. state to permanently use a wheelchair. He is also the first disabled governor in Texas history.
2021 Year in review: News • Abbott vs. Masks
Greg Abbott (Jacob Ford/Odessa American via AP) Governor ignores science by banning mask mandates Texas Gov. Greg Abbott surely started 2021 with the knowledge that he would likely be facing challengers from within his own party in running for re-election in 2022.
So the governor seemed to spend this year keeping on the good side of GOP voters, even the far-rightest of the right wingers, rather than listening to the experts and focusing on what was actually in the best interests of Texans’ health and well-being. (See weather-related coverage in our year-in-review introduction and the section on the Texas Legislature for other examples.) In early March, Abbott lifted all restrictions that had been put in place to help slow the spread of
