At the end of a blisteringly hot early September day, more than 400 students gathered Thursday in the lobby of Rudder Tower on the campus of Texas A&M University. They took refuge from the summer heat waiting to hear a speech from a political candidate who will need their support if she expects to give a victory speech in November.

State Sen. Wendy Davis traveled to College Station as part of her statewide campus tour, during which she is speaking to students at five colleges around the state. The tour began Tuesday with an event at the University of Houston, and concludes Friday at the University of North Texas.

Davis supporters said they weren’t bothered by the candidate’s quiet approach to reproductive rights as a campaign centerpiece, charging that Davis is more electable if she’s not perceived as a single-issue candidate.

Her Republican opponent, Attorney General Greg Abbott, is a staunch anti-choice candidate who has said “we shouldn’t discriminate against a child” who was conceived by rape or incest.

Students were in line an hour before the candidate was set to take the stage, while half a dozen anti-choice protesters stood outside the event. Interviews with young Davis supporters showed that they were engaged with the issues and had a hopeful yet realistic view of their candidate’s chances in November.

Roman Nardozza, a senior business major, was in the audience waiting for Davis to speak. He told Rewire that he first became aware of Davis during her filibuster of HB 2, which is designed in part to require abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital.

At the end of a special legislative session last summer, Davis spent 12 hours on the floor of the Texas Senate attempting to block legislation to restrict access to abortion care in the state. With an assist from supporters in the gallery, the bill was blocked that night—only to be passed during another special session.

For Nardozza, the filibuster was an inspiring moment.

“I felt invigorated knowing that we had at least one politician in Texas who was willing to stand up to ensure that women have the reproductive health services that they need,” Nardozza said.

Davis took the stage to deafening applause and began her speech with the signature Aggie greeting: “Howdy!” She spoke about her experiences as a young woman, and how she had been able to attend college because of state assistance.

Davis communicated the urgency of the Texas gubernatorial campaign, and how the results would directly affect students. “Texas is at a turning point,” said Davis. “This election will determine if we will lead in the 21st Century and whether or not Texas will work for hard working folks like each and everyone of you”

Levi Bohanan, a senior political science major, told Rewire that he had been following the campaign for the past year and decided to volunteer for the Davis campaign last month. Bohanan said he was aware of Davis before the filibuster—his grandmother lives in Davis’ senate district—but that like many people, he first took notice during her marathon filibuster on the senate floor.

For Bohanan, Davis’ initial appeal was in her personal narrative. “Her story itself is so compelling—you hear her story and it makes you want to go out and do something, go out and fix things,” Bohanan said.

The Davis campaign has been the subject of criticism for the strategy it has implemented and the issues the campaign has emphasized—particularly the perception that Davis does not speak enough about her support for reproductive rights. But to supporters like Bohanan, Davis’ support of reproductive rights is just one part of why they supporter her candidacy.

“The fact of the matter is that she’s running for governor, and running for governor is more than a one-issue conversation. You can’t get elected if you’re a one-issue candidate,” said Bohanan. “She’s done a good job of expanding and making sure that not only is she known for the filibuster, but she’s also know for education policy and other issues.”

Bohanan was one of a handful of students that stood behind Davis during her speech, an experience that he called “amazing.” During her speech Davis laid out her higher education policy, which Bohanan says he connected with.

“It’s very personally for me because I am paying for my own college. I have students loans and I am working my way through,” said Bohanan. “It’s something that really struck a chord with me. It’s not every day that you see a candidate that has been through that.”

Davis rolled out her education plan last month; it includes proposals for increasing the affordability of higher education and improving graduation rates. “At the very time when we need an educated workforce to lead the economy of the future, we need to put quality education within reach for Texas families,” Davis said during a campaign event in San Antonio.

Davis’ higher education proposal aims to fully fund college grants, expand college credit access for high school students, seek to make more Texas colleges Tier One schools to expand research programs, and spur economic growth. She also wants to improve veterans access to higher education by strengthening the Hazlewood Act, which assists Texan veterans with college tuition.

This week Abbott released his higher education policy, which focuses on outcomes-based funding for universities, establishing block scheduling at community colleges, and reforming how colleges give credit for advance placement tests. Abbott’s proposal also includes improving access for veterans. There are no proposals for increasing access through student loans or grants.

Christine Ajufo was in Austin last summer for the protests and the filibuster. Ajufo, a graduate student studying biochemistry, told RH Reality Check that while Davis’ support of reproductive rights is important, her support of other issues within the reproductive justice framework is an essential part of her appeal as a candidate.

“Abortion is a small part of the broad spectrum of reproductive justice,” Ajufo said. “Letting women be able to control when they start families when and how they choose and control their lives in general gives them more personal autonomy and empowers them.”

Paige Melendez, a senior political science and women and gender studies major, told Rewire that she drove to Austin last summer and saw Davis’ filibuster of HB 2 in person. Davis’ support of reproductive rights was the key to Melendez’s support for the candidate.

While Melendez was cautiously optimistic about Davis’ electoral chances, she said that reaching out to young voters and people of color is a critical part of making the campaign successful.

Ajufo said that she was “pleasantly surprised” to see that Davis had not only marched in the Martin Luther King Day parade, but also the Juneteenth Day parade, which commemorates the day in which the Emancipation Proclamation arrived in Texas and freed slaves in the state.

Davis called on the college students to help in her campaign. “I need you to knock on doors, and make calls, and talk to your fellow students and others that you know and help them understand what’s at stake in this election and why every single vote is going to matter,” said Davis.

Bohanan said listening to Davis speak on his campus was encouraging, validating, and hopeful. “It’s time for a change in Texas … and I really think that Wendy represents that change,” Bohanan said.