Beto O'Rourke Ends Presidential Bid

November 1, 2019

Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke ended his presidential campaign Friday.  He posted a statement with the announcement. O'Rourke said, in part:

"Though it is difficult to accept, it is clear to me now that this campaign does not have the means to move forward successfully. My service to the country will not be as a candidate or as the nominee. Acknowledging this now is in the best interests of those in the campaign; it is in the best interests of this party as we seek to unify around a nominee; and it is in the best interests of the country."

O'Rourke also sent out a series of tweets about his decision:

Thank you for making this campaign possible, and for continuing to believe that we can turn this moment of great peril into a moment of great promise for America and the world.

— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) November 1, 2019

O'Rourke became well-known nationally in the 2018 Texas U.S. Senate election; where he was narrowly defeated by incumbent Republican Ted Cruz.  He was unable to transfer that energy to his presidential bid, with his recent national polls averaging 2%, and support in Iowa slipping to less than 1%.