On Tuesday night, once it was clear his bid for Texas governor had been soundly defeated, Democrat Beto O’Rourke bounded up to address what one reporter called a “small, energetic crowd” in his hometown of El Paso. He flashed his toothy grin; he sported his trademark light-blue button-up. Yet his buoyant demeanor contrasted with seemingly spontaneous lines that came off profoundly sad.
“This may be one of the last times I get to talk in front of you all,” he said, prompting a chorus of dismay from the crowd. He spoke of shifting his focus to helping his mom fight through cancer. He jested that his wife, Amy, might be the next O’Rourke to run for office—to which she indicated “No.” Finally, he detailed the vision that propelled his year-long crusade to be Texas’ top executive: A state “where every woman makes her own decisions about her own body,” where “children don’t have to fear going to school and being gunned down in their classroom,” and where people are “free enough and healthy enough” to fulfill their potential.
“Well, that still is the Texas that I want to live in, that is the dream that I … will continue to pursue,” he said. “I don’t know what form that will take—I don’t know what my role or yours will be going forward—but I’m in this fight for life.”
