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The Texas Tribune
The Texas Tribune
National
Patrick Svitek, Carla Astudillo and Jayme Lozano

Beto O’Rourke confronts a formidable GOP firewall as he woos rural Texans

Beto ORourke Greg Abbott Republican Party Texas Dan Patrick Ted Cruz Dave Carney Van Ness Donald Trump Eddie Gaspar
Gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke spekas to attendees at a town hall in Abilene on Aug. 16, 2022.
Gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke speaks to attendees at a town hall in Abilene on Aug. 16, 2022. (Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune)

In 2018, Beto O’Rourke put more work into campaigning in rural Texas than perhaps any statewide Democratic candidate ever has. He visited all 254 counties, campaigning in far-flung communities where many had not seen a Democrat running for senator in their entire lifetime.

Still, he lost rural Texas by the same kind of landslide that met Democrats who came before him. O’Rourke lost to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz statewide by 3 percentage points, but the margin was 51 points in counties with fewer than 50,000 people — virtually the same deficit Hillary Clinton had against Donald Trump in those counties two years earlier.

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