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But Abbott is not daunted by the cash disparity, staying laser-focused on local issues and his deep ties to the area that led to his win in the crowded Republican primary race. “(Harvey) has raised a lot of money,” Abbot said. “She’s got a strong base of support from that standpoint. It’s just a matter of, do the voters agree with her positions there? Traditionally, again, it’s a Republican district.” The issues Abbott and Harvey have focused on throughout the campaign have seen plenty of overlap, betraying their partisan differences. Harvey’s website focuses on growth, preserving the community’s quality of life, improving roads and advocating for government transparency and quality education. During the primary, Abbott focused on the county and district’s explosive growth and how to control it, while not entirely plugging the flow. He specifically proposed plans to rein in high-density housing like large subdivisions, apartments and townhomes, and to encourage “traditional neighborhoods.” These plans, he said, differentiated him from other candidates who similarly called for controlling growth but did not outline clear plans on how. “Everybody says they’re for smart growth or intelligent growth,” Abbot said. “But all I’ve seen is headlines and bullet points.” Abbott is also not new to overcoming fundraising gaps. He beat Jason Lynch in the runoff, winning close to 60 percent of the vote, even with Lynch raising nearly $55,000.
