AUSTIN, Texas — Democrat Beto O’Rourke is running for governor of Texas. The former El Paso congressman announced his decision Monday.
It's O’Rourke’s third run for office in as many election cycles after a narrow loss for U.S. Senate in 2018 and a short-lived presidential run in 2020.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is up for a third term, but his usually durable approval ratings have taken a hit over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Abbott has said Texas voters won’t forget O’Rourke calling for mandatory buybacks of assault weapons and aggressive action on climate change.
Texas has not elected a Democratic governor since Ann Richards in 1990.