By JOSH WALKER and DAVID WALKERSAssociated PressThe Associated PressAUSTIN, Texas (AP) Gov.
Greg Abbott of Texas said Tuesday he won�t resign following criticism from the governor’s political enemies and a conservative blog that he has ignored repeated requests for his removal.
Abbott, a Republican, said he has spoken to his top aides, including chief of staff Doug Stafford, who had been a top campaign adviser, about the criticism and the blog.
He also said he didn�t want to resign and that he is focused on moving forward.
The Republican governor said he had received threats from conservative blog The Blaze.
He said he would not be resigning, but he also said that the people of Missouri should have the opportunity to weigh in on what should happen.
The Blaze, a conservative publication, published a statement saying that the governor was making �a decision based on his constitutional duty to preserve the rule of law, protect the safety of his constituents, and protect the constitutional right to speak freely in the state legislature.
Abby did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The governor also said the news media has failed to cover his tenure.
The Missouri House and Senate voted Monday to impeach him.
Abbot has faced criticism for his handling of the botched floodwaters response, including the delay in declaring a state of emergency in response to the catastrophic flooding in the city of St. Louis.
His critics argue that he didn’t adequately respond to the disaster and that the state was not prepared to deal with the emergency.