Former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D) is officially returning to the political spotlight, this time with a bid for governor of the Lone Star State. “Together, we can push past the small and divisive politics that we see in Texas today—and get back to the big, bold vision that used to define Texas,” the former three-term congressman tweeted. “A Texas big enough for all of us.” In a video announcing his run, O’Rourke, who faces a tough race against current Gov. Greg Abbott, pointed to Texas’ electrical grid failures in February as a key reason why he decided to run, saying elected leaders “abandoned” residents and “stopped listening.” While O’Rourke’s presidential bid in 2020 failed to gain traction, he became a household name after a nail-bitingly close race against Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in 2018.
