O'Rourke enters 2020 field
Former Texas rep. attempting to score with bipartisan appeal
AUSTIN, Texas — Former Texas Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke jumped into the 2020 presidential race Thursday, shaking up the already packed field and pledging to win over voters from both major parties as he tries to translate his political celebrity into a formidable White House bid.
After months of ignoring states that vote early in the presidential nominating process, O'Rourke made his first-ever trip to Iowa — popping into a coffee shop in the town of Keokuk while many cable networks went live. He took questions about everything from his support of federal legalization of marijuana to abortion rights to the possibility of a universal basic income — all while waving his arms and gesticulating.
It was the kind of highenergy, off-the-cuff style that made him a sensation in Texas, but O'Rourke also was clear that he doesn't believe in strict immigration policies — drawing a policy distinction that could allow him to clash with President Donald Trump on the issue.
Trump, for his part, took note of O'Rourke's energetic gesticulation, on display as several cable TV networks aired O'Rourke's comments.
“Well, I think he's got a lot of hand movement,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. He added: “Is he crazy or is that just how he acts?”
Until he challenged Republican Sen. Ted Cruz last year, O'Rourke was little known outside his hometown of El Paso. But the Spanish-speaking 46-year-old former punk rocker used grassroots organizing and social media savvy to mobilize young voters and minorities and get within 3 percentage points of winning in the nation's largest red state.
“This is going to be a positive campaign that seeks to bring out the very best from every single one of us,” O'Rourke said in a video announcement before dawn Thursday, with his wife on a couch. “We saw the power of this in Texas.”
Weeks of gleefully teasing an announcement are behind him, but O'Rourke now must prove whether his unique campaign style will resonate on a much larger stage than Texas. For all the buzz associated with his candidacy, the former three-term congressman hasn't demonstrated much skill in domestic or foreign policy. And, as a white man, he's entering a field that has been celebrated for its diverse roster of women and people of color.
California Sen. Kamala Harris singled him out by name in an email to supporters, noting that a “record number of women and people of color” are running and adding she was looking forward to “substantive debates” with candidates including “the newest to join the race today, Beto O'Rourke.”