Beto O'Rourke Set To Run Against Greg Abbott For Texas Governor - Report [View all]
- The Guardian, Sept. 19, 2021.
The former Democratic congressman Beto O’Rourke is set to mount a third campaign for major political office with a run for governor in Texas, Axios reported on Sunday. Citing unnamed “Texas political operatives”, the website said O’Rourke’s challenge to the Republican governor, Greg Abbott, would be announced later this year.
A longtime adviser, David Wysong, told Axios “no decision has been made” but also said O’Rourke had been “making and receiving calls with people all over the state”.
The Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey has also flirted with a challenge to Abbott, a hardline Republican who recently stoked liberal outrage by signing into law new voting restrictions and the most severe abortion law in the country. Some Democrats fear a “centrist” run from McConaughey, the star of hit films including Gold and Dallas Buyers Club, could divide the anti-Abbott vote.
Gilberto Hinojosa, chair of the state Democratic party, told Axios. “We hope [O’Rourke is] going to run. We think he’ll be our strongest candidate. We think he can beat Abbott.” The 48-year-old served three terms in the US House from an El Paso district before resigning to run for Senate in 2018. He lost that race narrowly to Ted Cruz, then ran for the Democratic presidential nomination. A charismatic campaigner, he started the race strongly but quickly faded and dropped out before voting began.
He has maintained a national profile. This summer, O’Rourke played a prominent role in dramatic but ultimately fruitless efforts to stop Texas Republicans restricting voting access among minorities and other Democratic-leaning groups...
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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/19/beto-orourke-greg-abbott-texas-governor-matthew-mcconaughey
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