The 46-year-old former congressman brought the state of Texas into play for Democrats for the first time in a generation.
Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke joined the race for the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday, seeking to capitalize on an underdog U.S. Senate race that ended in defeat but catapulted him to the national stage.
“The challenges that we face right now, the interconnected crises in our economy, our democracy, and our climate have never been greater. And they will either consume us or they will afford us the greatest opportunity to unleash the genius of the United States of America,” he said in a campaign video.