By Paul Steinhauser | Fox News
Three-term Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-Texas, noted for his Bobby Kennedy
resemblance, Jack Kerouac-style road trips, stream-of-consciousness
ramblings and an oh-so-close bid to topple Texas Sen. Ted Cruz last year,
ended months of speculation by announcing a White House bid in a video he
sent to supporters sometime in the wee hours of Thursday morning.
"Amy and I are happy to share with you that I’m
running to serve you as the next president of the United States of
America," O'Rourke said. "This is a defining moment of truth for this
country and for every single one of us. The challenges we face right now, the
interconnected crises in our democracy and our climate, have never been
greater.”
The congressman from El Paso grabbed national
attention last summer and autumn, as he challenged Republican Cruz in the 2018
midterm elections. O’Rourke raked in an eye-popping $80 million during his
campaign, thanks in part to his uplifting message and his mastery of social
media.
He quickly became a Democratic rock star. And like Sen. Bernie Sanders of
Vermont, another darling of the party’s progressive base, O’Rourke quickly
reached celebrity status, being referenced only by his first name.
O’Rourke
narrowly lost to Cruz -- by just more than 200,000 votes out of more
than 8 million cast. After his better-than-expected performance against
the GOP incumbent, there were immediate calls by some Democrats for O’Rourke to
run for president.
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“It’s telling that the Democrats’ biggest star is someone
whose biggest accomplishment is losing. Beto O’Rourke failed to get anything
done in Congress, and with extreme policies like government-run health care and
tearing down border barriers, his 2020 bid won’t be successful either.” – RNC
Communications Director Michael Ahrens
Here’s just some of what you need to know about
O’Rourke:
