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AUSTIN (KXAN) – A rather cryptic post by the faction started by Beto O’Rourke on Tuesday teased an announcement from him that ignited the flames that the former El Paso congressman could officially run for governor.
Powered by People, the political action committee established by O’Rourke ahead of the 2020 election, shared a message with supporters entitled “Be the first to know!” and asked her to sign up for email notification. The post says: “We have something big to announce and we want you to be a part of it.”
“Add your name and make sure you are the first to know what Beto is up to,” read a tweet.
A big announcement is coming soon and we want you to be a part of it.
Add your name and make sure you are the first to know what Beto is planning.https: //t.co/DUYSS9y0MR
– Powered By People (@poweredxpeople) November 9, 2021
O’Rourke narrowly lost the race in the US Senate to Senator Ted Cruz in 2018 and was only two percentage points behind the incumbent Republican. He then jumped into the crowded Democratic presidential primaries in March 2019 before suspending his campaign about eight months later.
Speculation has been simmering lately that he might challenge Texas Governor Greg Abbott, but he has not yet announced a candidacy for the state’s highest elected position. However, O’Rourke said publicly this summer that he is considering running for governor.
Mark Miner, director of communications for the governor’s re-election campaign, released a statement Tuesday in response to O’Rourke’s organization, which flagged an announcement.
“From his aggressive support for defusing the police to his pro-open border policies, Beto O’Rourke has shown that he has no contact with Texans,” said Miner. “Governor Abbott proudly supports the men and women of law enforcement, deployed National Guard and Department of Public Security personnel and resources to secure the border, and created a business climate in Texas that has made our state a national leader job creation. ” When Beto is running, the contrast is clear. “
The Republicans in Texas have long been preparing to fight O’Rourke. In September, the Republican Governors Association released a statement offering bullet points criticizing O’Rourke for his stance on issues such as border security and guns during his 2020 White House bid.
A recent poll published by the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation showed that Abbott and O’Rourke were practically linked in a potential head-to-head match. The results found that 43% of registered voters said they would vote for Abbott, while 42% would vote for O’Rourke. However, another poll released late last week by the University of Texas and the Texas Tribune showed that Abbott had a comfortable nine point advantage over O’Rourke among the polled voters.
While no major candidate has yet to enter the Texas Democratic primary, Abbott faces several challengers in the Republican competition next year. Don Huffines, the former Dallas State Senator, tried to oust Abbott earlier this year. A few months later, Allen West, the former Texas GOP chairman, also announced his campaign for the Republican nomination.
Abbott’s re-election offer is already backed by former President Donald Trump, who remains popular with the Republican base. The governor announced this summer that his campaign also has $ 55 million in the bank, adding that he has raised more than $ 18.7 million in the last 10 days of June.
It also remains unclear at this point whether actor Matthew McConaughey will ultimately implement all the hints he dropped earlier this year that he could run for governor of Texas as well.
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https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/beto-orourkes-political-group-teases-big-announcement-coming/
