Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) mentioned on Sunday that he has not but determined whether or not to run for U.S. Senate in Texas in 2026.
“I do not know,” O’Rourke mentioned in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” when requested if he plans to run for Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-Texas) Senate seat, which is up for reelection subsequent 12 months.
“Proper now, I am holding these city halls everywhere in the state of Texas, throughout the nation to hearken to individuals to deliver them collectively and to channel our anger into motion, registering individuals to vote, organizing with voters proper now,” he continued.
O’Rourke — who ran unsuccessful bids for senator in 2018, for president in 2020, and Texas governor in 2022 — mentioned he is optimistic about Democrats’ probabilities subsequent 12 months.
“However I am very optimistic about Democrats’ alternative in 2026,” O’Rourke mentioned.
“In Trump’s final midterm in 2018, once I was operating towards Ted Cruz, not solely did we come near defeating the sitting senator, however 12 rebel Democrats defeated 12 incumbent Republicans within the state Home,” he added, referring to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
O’Rourke pointed to Texas Reps. Colin Allred and Lizzie Pannill Fletcher as examples of Democrats who “defeated entrenched well-funded Republicans” within the 2018 midterms.
Allred misplaced his Senate bid towards Cruz in 2024 and has not too long ago introduced that he’ll run towards Cornyn’s Senate seat in 2026.
“You had 17 black girls win judicial positions in Harris County, in Houston, Texas,” he continued. “It was transformational for the state of Texas.”
“There can be a value for this extremism from Donald Trump from the folks that he is hurting throughout the nation proper now. And I believe we’ll see that play out in 2026,” O’Rourke mentioned.