Beto O’Rourke to Run for Texas Governor

Beto O’Rourke (D) announced that he is running for Texas governor, challenging incumbent Greg Abbott (R) in what could become one of the highest-profile races of 2022, the Washington Post reports.

Texas Tribune: “O’Rourke’s decision to enter the race ends months of speculation and gives Democrats a formidable campaigner at the top of the ticket — someone who transformed Texas politics with his blockbuster campaign against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. The clock has been ticking, with the candidate filing deadline for the March 2022 primary less than a month away.”

“Abbott’s campaign reacted to O’Rourke’s launch by yoking him to President Joe Biden, releasing an animated image of O’Rourke morphing into Biden.”

Texas Monthly: “He will seek to become the first Democrat to win statewide office in Texas since 1994, ending the longest statewide losing streak in America for either party.”