Beto O’Rourke pauses campaign for governor after bacterial infection diagnosis
Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke paused campaign events after going to the hospital with a bacterial infection.
O’Rourke, a Democrat who is challenging Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in November, has been traveling across the state campaigning and was set to make appearances in San Antonio, Corpus Christi and other Texas cities before postponing those scheduled events over the weekend.
O’Rourke was admitted to Methodist Hospital in San Antonio on Friday evening after feeling sick. He was diagnosed with a bacterial infection. Spokesperson Chris Evans said in a text that O’Rourke was discharged Sunday morning and returned home to El Paso.
“The extraordinary team there (Methodist Hospital) — from custodians to nurses and doctors — gave me excellent care and attention, including IV antibiotics and rest,” O’Rourke said in a statement Sunday. “While my symptoms have improved, I will be resting at home in El Paso in accordance with the doctors’ recommendations. I am sorry to have had to postpone events because of this, but promise to be back on the road as soon as I am able. I cannot thank the amazing women and men at Methodist enough for the treatment I received.”
Jeremy Wallace, a reporter for the Houston Chronicle, tweeted Friday and the O’Rourke’s campaign confirmed that O’Rourke left a book signing early in San Antonio because of the illness.
It’s unclear when O’Rourke will be back on the campaign trail. The campaign site lists his next “A Drive For Texas” stop as Wednesday in Falfurrias in South Texas.
