Who is Beto O'Rourke, Democratic candidate for president?

O'Rourke launching second major campaign in two years

Beto O’Rourke is going back to back, so to speak. 

Last season, O’Rourke poured his heart and soul into a campaign for the U.S. Senate representing Texas, a bid which ultimately fell short after O’Rourke was beaten in the election by incumbent Ted Cruz.

But less than a year later, O’Rourke is shaking off that defeat and pouring his energy into another campaign, this time for president after he officially announced he would seek the Democratic nomination March 14. 

He was the 14th Democratic candidate to declare.

O’Rourke is the second candidate from Texas, joining former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro. 

Considered a longshot candidate in the Senate race, O'Rourke raised a record $38 million for a Senate race and gained a following with some voters for his preference to run his campaign without professional consultants or without funding from political action committees. 

O'Rourke posted campaign rallies and messages daily to numerous social media sites as a way to try and captivate audiences. 

Despite the fact no Democrat has been elected to statewide office in Texas since 1994, O'Rourke nearly pulled off the upset, collecting 48 percent of the vote to 51 percent for Cruz. 

The following he gained was obviously enough to convince him a run for president was worth a shot. 

O’Rourke sought the Senate seat after he spent six years in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving Texas’ 16th District.

Before that, O’Rourke was a member of the El Paso City Council for six years. 

Click here to see more news about Beto O'Rourke.

 

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Click here to view other candidates running for president.


About the Author:

Keith is a member of Graham Media Group's Digital Content Team, which produces content for all the company's news websites.