Politico is reporting that former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) met with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), according to a “source familiar with the meeting.”
O’Rourke, who lost his Senate bid to incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), has been seen as a potential Democrat presidential candidate but has not ruled out challenging another Texas senator, John Cornyn (R-TX), for his seat.
Politico reported:
O’Rourke and former Obama Cabinet secretary Julián Castro — who has announced his own White House bid — are considered by many Democrats to be the party’s best prospects for defeating Cornyn.
If O’Rourke chooses to challenge Cornyn instead of seeking the Democratic nomination for president, he would immediately have the support of Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) — Julián Castro’s twin brother.
“Joaquin believes Beto could beat John in 2020, and if Beto decides to see this thing through and do that, then Joaquin will give him his full support, just like he did against Ted Cruz,” another anonymous source told Politico. “Otherwise, Joaquin will absolutely consider jumping in and finishing the job.”
O’Rourke has said he will announce his decision about running for president in the next couple of weeks, but the meeting with Schumer might mean he sees another Senate race as a safer bet.
The Castros both backed O’Rourke in 2018, according to Politico, but if he runs for president, he will compete against Julian.
O’Rourke and Julian Castro would become competitors if they both throw their hats in the presidential ring.
If O’Rourke does decide on a Senate race, he will still have competition. Politico reports that Democrats Mary “MJ” Hegar and failed gubernatorial candidate and former State Senator Wendy Davis are both considering challenging Cornyn.
Cornyn, meanwhile, is getting ready for what may be a tough re-election battle. He has hired John Jackson, who ran Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s re-election campaign, and has $5.8 million in his war chest, Politico reported.
“We’ve gotten complacent,” Cornyn told Politico in an earlier interview. “The tectonic plates shifted in Texas in 2018, and I think everybody realized we need to do something different and to address those concerns or else we’re in trouble.”
Cruz, who did not endorse Cornyn in his last primary, is going to back him this time.
Politico noted that O’Rourke did not respond to an inquiry about the meeting, and Schumer declined to comment.
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