Democrat Beto O’Rourke to run for Texas governor

The former congressman who unsuccessfully challenged Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018 and lost a presidential primary bid in 2020 has thrown down the gauntlet against Texas’ GOP governor, Greg Abbott. Abbott won reelection in 2018 by double digits and has made Texas a stronghold for Republican policy priorities by signing legislation to tighten election security and protect unborn lives. He also issued numerous orders during the coronavirus pandemic to reopen schools and block mask and vaccine mandates.

What policies is Beto O’Rourke promoting? As a presidential candidate, he portrayed himself as a liberal champion who called for slashing immigration enforcement and instituting mandatory gun buybacks. In a video announcing his candidacy for governor, O’Rourke also supported expanding Medicare and legalizing marijuana. Texas has not elected a Democratic governor since Ann Richards in 1990.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Joel Belz’s response to O’Rourke’s controversial statements about the separation of church and state.