You knew it was coming.
In an about-face from previous comments, former Texas Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke said he would not rule out running for president in 2020.
From the WaPo:
“Amy and I made a decision not to rule anything out,” he told reporters afterward, admitting that his position is different from the one he took on 2020 during his campaign.O’Rourke, 46, a three-term congressman from Texas, would enter the race with less elected experience than many of his rivals but a proven ability to excite Democratic voters in a political era dominated by President Trump.In a crowded field that could number more than 20 candidates, charisma is likely to be key to attracting attention of early voters and the small-dollar fundraising that most candidates will need to survive the early stages of the primaries.With just weeks remaining in his congressional job, O’Rourke had already made clear that he intends to remain a part of the national conversation, penning occasional online essays, including a piece Sunday critiquing President Trump’s treatment of asylum seekers on the southern border.Unlike other Democratic House members who have declared or are inching toward a presidential run, a list that includes Reps. Eric Swalwell (Calif.), Tim Ryan (Ohio) and John Delaney (Md.), an O’Rouke bid in 2020 would be premised less on his service in Washington than his failed Texas Senate campaign.
During his Senate campaign, O’Rourke spent an unusual amount of time fundraising in California, schmoozing and charming at least one set of coastal elites.
We blogged repeatedly throughout the campaign season that O’Rourke’s goal was not to win, it was to get new, clean voter data in a purpling state and to build name recognition and a fundraising base for future aspirations.
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