Former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke said Wednesday that he has made up his mind about his political future, raising expectations that he will be the latest Democrat to jump into the crowded race for the party’s 2020 presidential nomination.
“[Wife] Amy and I have made a decision about how we can best serve our country,” the 46-year-old O’Rourke said in a statement. “We are excited to share it with everyone soon.”
The statement was first obtained by The Dallas Morning News, which reported that O’Rourke would not pursue a potential challenge to Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in Congress’ upper chamber. Cornyn responded to the report by tweeting: “Looks like Schumer couldn’t close the deal”, a reference to a recent report that O’Rourke and Schumer had met earlier this month to discuss a potential Senate bid.
Looks like Schumer couldn’t close the deal: Sources: Beto O'Rourke won't challenge John Cornyn for Senate, paving way for presidential bid | Elections 2020 | Dallas News https://t.co/Qvs6jtQZyg
— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) February 28, 2019
O’Rourke made national headlines last year with his strong electoral challenge to Sen. Ted Cruz. O’Rourke was defeated by 2.5 percentage points, a surprisingly close margin in Texas, which has not elected a Democrat to statewide office since 1994.- READ MORE