Gov. Greg Abbott heeds the call of his GOP critics in removing coronavirus restrictions PATRICK SVITEK, The Texas Tribune March 3, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail "Gov. Greg Abbott heeds the call of his GOP critics in removing coronavirus restrictions" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. For most of his governorship, Greg Abbott has enjoyed a relatively charmed life inside his party, flush with campaign cash, high approval ratings and agenda items with broad Republican support. He has not been immune to internecine conflict — no Republican official is in Texas, the country’s largest red state — and he has even instigated it himself, campaigning against a trio of state House Republicans in 2018, for example. But in most cases, he has eluded open attacks from within his party and emerged from family fights largely unscathed.