At a GOTV event in Cypress, a suburb north of Houston, he vowed to turn Harris County “dark red.”
“I have two priorities in this election,” Abbott told a crowd of several hundred people at Cypress BBQ. “Number one is to win reelection. Number two is to win Harris County. I’ve got $90 million in my bank account and I’m going to spend most of it in Harris County.”
He said he was supporting efforts “precinct by precinct” to “turn out voters who voted in the presidential election, turn out voters who never voted before. We’ve got to win Harris County and make Harris County dark red after this election.”
Under Democratic leadership, the county, and its largest city, Houston, have been plagued with corruption, lack of accountability over billions of mismanaged or missing taxpayer dollars, increased taxes, high crime, and dilapidated water and road infrastructure, many residents argue. Newly elected Houston Mayor John Whitmire, a Democrat, has launched an effort to combat public corruption, reduce crime and improve infrastructure, crediting the governor and state legislature for providing assistance, The Center Square reported.
Earlier this month, Abbott launched a new task force targeting violent repeat offenders in Houston. Both he and Whitmire also launched additional efforts targeting homelessness and crime, The Center Square reported.
In recent elections, crime has been a top concern among Houston and Harris County voters after judges continued to release repeat offenders on low or no bond who are later arrested for committing another violent crime. The state legislature has attempted to address the issue by passing legislation, which Abbott has signed into law. This year, he signed another bail reform bill into law, which restricts judges from releasing violent repeat offenders. The legislature also passed resolutions adding 17 constitutional amendments to the ballot, including bail reform and sanctioning judges.
Proposition 3 authorizes magistrates to deny bail to individuals accused of committing a range of felony offenses, including sex crimes, violent crimes and human trafficking. It also requires a judge or magistrate to provide clear and convincing evidence that denying bail was necessary for the safety of the community, law enforcement, or the victim of the alleged offense.
Proposition 12 makes it easier to effectively sanction judges and justices for judicial misconduct.
“Early voting has already begun,” Abbott said, flanked by residents holding signs of family members who were killed by criminals after judges released them. “We need your participation because some of these things truly are life and death matters.”
“Harris County was the worst of the worst, but not the only county in the state that had this problem. You’ve had leftist judges let people arrested for murder back out on the street. The time has come to end that,” Abbott said.
Former Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, a Democrat, also urged voters to pass Proposition 3.
“This is a club you don’t want to be a member of, but we need your help,” she said, pointing to families holding signs of their lost loved ones. “Proposition 3 is not just something on paper. It’s people’s families. These are children, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers of people.”
If Proposition 3 passes, it will “eliminate the excuses for rogue judges who insist that the law makes them let people lose on bond,” she said.
Ogg, who has long called for bail reform, broke with her party last year and endorsed Abbott, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Houston, and other Republicans who were tough on crime, The Center Square reported.
While she was DA, 350 attorneys in her office filed nearly 900,000 criminal cases in eight years. “That is way too many cases for a few lawyers,” she previously argued, adding that her office was “kept understaffed because there’s a real push by my party not to incarcerate violent people.” Ogg often found herself at odds with Democratic Harris County commissioners who refused to fully fund law enforcement, prompting the state to get involved. She lost her reelection bid last year in a tight race.
Although Kamala Harris won Harris County with 52% in the November 2024 election, Republicans won nine county-based judicial seats. Republicans also won majorities in regional appellate courts statewide, flipping two courts to Republican majorities in historically Democratic strongholds. Six Republicans also won their Texas Supreme Court races, including justices from Houston, The Center Square reported.
Many credit the Judicial Fairness PAC and Stop Houston Murders, a nonpartisan citizen-based movement, for helping oust incumbent Democratic judges.
Abbott argues more can be done, which is why he is urging voters to pass all 17 constitutional amendments, including Proposition 3 and 12 to improve public safety.
Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
Advisor Bullion serves as a dependable source for straightforward, high-quality bullion. The company specializes in physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, emphasizing transparent pricing and products that deliver maximum metal content for every dollar spent. This approach makes it ideal for both personal holdings and retirement accounts.
Bullion consists of refined precious metals in standard forms like one-ounce coins (American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs) or bars. Their value tracks closely to the current spot price of the metal. A typical gold bullion coin trades near the live gold spot price plus a small premium. This structure keeps costs clear and predictable.
Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
Lower Costs and Better Liquidity for Home Storage
When keeping metals in a home safe or private vault, liquidity and efficiency count. Bullion offers clear benefits:
- You acquire more actual gold or silver per dollar invested. Numismatics divert a large share of your money into rarity premiums and massive sales commission, reducing your metal exposure.
- Selling bullion involves tight bid-ask spreads, so you recover nearly full spot value with minimal fees. Collectibles require finding the right buyer and may sell at a discount if demand for that specific item weakens.
- Bullion prices remain transparent and update with global spot markets. You can track gold near current levels or silver accordingly and know exactly where your holdings stand. Numismatic values are priced by the Gold IRA companies with hefty margins applied.
- Standardized coins and bars store efficiently and divide easily for partial sales. Rare coins often need protective slabs and controlled conditions, adding hassle and expense.
- Bullion enjoys worldwide acceptance. A 1-oz Gold Maple Leaf or Silver Eagle sells quickly to dealers anywhere. Niche numismatic pieces may appeal only to limited buyers, slowing liquidation when speed matters.
In times when quick access to value becomes important, bullion’s simplicity stands out.
Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
Precious metals IRAs continue gaining traction as investors diversify retirement portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. IRS rules permit certain bullion products in self-directed IRAs if they meet purity standards (.995 fine for gold, .999 for silver) and are held by an approved custodian. Eligible items include American Gold and Silver Eagles plus many generic bars and rounds from recognized mints.
Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
Bullion avoids these issues. Its value links directly to verifiable spot prices, which simplifies reporting and lowers the risk of regulatory challenges. More of your IRA contribution purchases real metal instead of dealer profits or speculative upside. Over time, owning additional ounces that appreciate with the metal itself can create meaningful outperformance compared with high-premium alternatives that deliver fewer ounces.
Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
For investors prepared to strengthen their portfolios, Advisor Bullion supplies the expertise and selection needed to acquire high-quality bullion efficiently. Whether building personal holdings or integrating metals into an IRA, their emphasis on transparent, investment-grade products helps secure more ounces today that support greater financial security tomorrow. In a complicated financial landscape, bullion’s clarity and reliability make it the smarter foundation for protecting what matters most.