Convenience Big Store: Whatever happened to that Greg Abbott for VP chatter?

Abbott missing from VP shortlists

While Donald Trump has said Gov. Greg Abbott is someone he would consider for his running mate in 2024, most of the chatter about the choice has since excluded the Texas Republican.

Politico just did a deep dive on the pros and cons of eight candidates for the post that Trump's team has been reportedly vetting.

The list: Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.

It's not just Politico. Other news organizations and even online betting sites have all but excluded Abbott from the rumor mill.

Why?

That may be Abbott's doing. Abbott was asked during a 60 Minutes interview on CBS back in April if he wanted to be the vice president after Trump initially floated the idea.

"No," he said without hesitation.

Asked what he would do if Trump asked him, Abbott said: "Listen, I love being governor of Texas. I can best aid him in my role by being a great governor of Texas."

It's not like he hasn't had time to warm to the idea. He was just with former President Trump in Dallas last month for the NRA's annual convention and neither Trump nor Abbott brought up the idea.

Earlier I broke down the pros and cons of Abbott as a VP choice and got into one of the biggest drawbacks he'd face: abortion rights. Trump has clearly staked out a very different position than Abbott on the topic calling for exceptions for rape and incest. Abbott of course has gone further right, signing an abortion ban in Texas that has no exception for either.

Check out that piece here.

Jeremy Wallace, Texas politics reporter

jeremy.wallace@houstonchronicle.com

Who's up, who's down

Up: George Strait.

The Poteet native set a new U.S. attendance record for a ticketed concert on Saturday night when he had 110,905 people pack Kyle Field in College Station. Strait topped the Grateful Dead's 1977 New Jersey show that had held the record with 107,019.

Down: TV watchers.

The presidential TV ads are about to start. President Joe Biden's reelection campaign is spending $50 million through the end of June, a blitz that includes its first television ad trumpeting Donald Trump's felony conviction.

What do you think? Hit reply and let me know.

What else is going on in Texas

FILE - Local residents demonstrate their support for Annunciation House, Feb. 23, 2024, in El Paso, Texas. On Monday, March 11, 2024, a Texas judge ruled in favor of Annunciation House, a large migrant shelter on the U.S.-Mexico border that Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton is seeking to shut down over claims that the facility encourages migrants to enter the country illegally. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton, File)

Photo by: Andres Leighton/Associated Press

El Paso migrant shelter says Paxton's lawsuit threatens religious liberty

Annunciation House, an El Paso nonprofit, says Attorney General Ken Paxton's effort to shut it down threatens religious freedom across Texas.

Judge Paul Pressler was one of the key leaders of the conservative resurgence within the Southern Baptist Convention.

Photo by: Betty Tichich, Staff / Houston Chronicle

Paul Pressler, Southern Baptist leader accused of sex abuse, dies at 94

The former Houston judge became a key figure in the church before he was accused by at least seven men of sexual abuse.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and former President Donald Trump. (Carl Juste/Miami Herald/TNS)

Photo by: Carl Juste/TNS

Fact check: Marco Rubio says at least 20M people live in the U.S. illegally

Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican and a possible vice presidential pick for Donald Trump, said the number of people in the U.S. illegally is "upwards of 20, 25, maybe 30 million."

Vote signs are seen on the first day of early voting for the Primary Runoff Elections Monday, May 20, 2024 at Metropolitan MultiService Center in Houston.

Photo by: Yi-Chin Lee, Staff Photographer

Scott, McCrutcheon win Harris County appraisal board runoffs

Kyle Scott and Ericka McCrutcheon won the runoff races for two Harris Central Appraisal District board seats, based on unofficial results.

Pick of the day

Northside ISD superintendent finalist John Craft address the gathering after the announcement. Craft will replace Brian Woods, who is retiring.

Photo by: Ronald Cortes / Contribuitor

School districts statewide are setting salaries for the coming fiscal year amid an ongoing teacher shortage and hobbled by declining state funding, expiring or reduced federal help and inflation. Reporters Melissa Manno and Scott Huddleston look at how districts in San Antonio are trying to navigate the landscape where they are under pressure to offer pay increases to retain teachers, yet are trying to avoid running up budget deficits.

What else I'm reading

The Dallas Morning News has found that 131 college student scholarships have been put on hold or modified because of the state's decision to ban Diversity Equity and Inclusion programs at public universities. The affected scholarships comprise 80 at Texas A&M University institutions, 45 at University of Texas-affiliated campuses and six at three other public universities.