Beto O’Rourke says he will not run for the U.S. Senate in 2020, but signaled a possible run for president.
The Dallas Morning News reported Wednesday that “numerous people close to O'Rourke said they expect him to announce his presidential campaign within weeks.”
“Amy and I have made a decision about how we can best serve our country," he told the paper. "We are excited to share it with everyone soon."
O’Rourke’s spokesman confirmed the statement, but said he “can't speak to … sources beyond Beto.”
The former Congressman from El Paso narrowly lost a U.S. Senate seat to Republican Ted Cruz in a closely watched race last year. O'Rourke had raised more than $80 million for his campaign and garnered national attention.
There was speculation O’Rourke was weighing another bid for the U.S. Senate – against Republican John Cornyn. Earlier this month, he reportedly met with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
During his Senate race in 2018, O’Rourke said he was not considering running for president, but since losing to Cruz he has said he’s been actively weighing it. During a taped interview earlier this month, O'Rourke told Oprah that he would make a decision before the end of this month.
If O’Rourke runs for president, he would be one of more than a dozen Democrats vying for the nomination, so far.
