Beto O’Rourke says ‘if’ Texans want him to run for U.S. Senate, ‘yes I will’ | Opinion
Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, defeated for U.S. Senate and Texas governor in recent elections but a prodigious national fundraiser, now says that “if” Texans want him to run for Senate again in 2026, “then yes I wlll.”
It may be the closest O’Rourke, an El Paso Democrat, has come to announcing for what is expected to be a $200 million-plus campaign against either incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn or challenger Attorney General Ken Paxton, a McKinney Republican.
O’Rourke, then a member of the U.S. House, lost to incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz by 3 percentage points in a 2018 election that lifted him into the national spotlight. In 2022, he lost to Gov. Greg Abbott by 11 points.
He raised nearly $180 million for the two campaigns. The 2026 Democratic nominee for Senate will be expected to raise as much as $100 million.
In 2019, he launched a 2020 campaign for president. He dropped out that November, a year before the election, but was considered a possible running mate for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden until Biden committed to choosing a Black woman for the ticket. Biden ultimately chose California Sen. Kamala Harris.
Speaking to several hundred people April 26 in Denton, Texas, O’Rourke rallied voters at what was billed as a town hall for his voter mobilization organization, Powered by People.
Asked in the Q-and-A after his speech whether he would run for Senate, O’Rourke grinned and said, “I’m gonna infer from your question that you do not want Ken Paxton to be your next senator.”
He went on to loud cheers: “If ... this is what the people of Texas want — that it’s the highest and best use of what I can give to you — then yes, I will.”
Later, he told WFAA: “I’m going to do whatever is most helpful for the people of Texas. ... I’m going to do whatever is the greatest good for the greatest number in this state.
“ ... Whatever I can do, wherever I’m helpful, that’s where I’m going to be.”
It is one of the few times so far O’Rourke has directly mentioned running. So far, Democrats being discussed for the race include former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Dallas, who lost to Cruz in 2024 by 8 percentage points, and state Sen. Nathan Johnson of Dallas. Both are also considered along with state Sen. Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio as possible candidates for governor, lieutenant governor or for the open seat as attorney general.
He spoke at length to the crowd at Anderson’s Eatery & Distillery about the principles of American government, freedom and due process of law, and about the current administration and deportation policies of President Donald Trump.
In an interview in recent days with The Dallas Morning News, O’Rourke said he would “do whatever I can to be useful, and right now that is organizing, registering voters, recruiting and leading volunteers across the state. If at some point it makes sense to do something else, I’m open to it.”
He also told The News that if Paxton beats Cornyn for the nomination in the March 2026 Republican Party primary, it would be a “gift” to those who want to see a Democrat win.
It was his second recent visit to North Texas. He spoke in mid-March in Mansfield for a smaller crowd.
He also held town halls in Wichita Falls and in Fort Bend County, outside Houston, with former Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz.
This story was originally published April 26, 2025 at 6:16 PM.
