Former Democratic Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke said he feels “born to be in” the 2020 presidential race in an interview with Vanity Fair released Wednesday before launching is official bid Thursday.
“I want to be in it,” he said. “Man, I’m just born to be in it, and want to do everything I humanly can for this country at this moment.”
“You can probably tell that I want to run,” O’Rourke continued. “I do. I think I’d be good at it.” (RELATED: Reuters: Beto O’Rourke Wins Even If He Loses)
His comments came just before he launched his official bid for the 2020 presidency Thursday morning. Many speculated his announcement to run after detailed plans for an extended trip to Iowa were released earlier in the week. He had also been in contact with multiple Democratic advisers, according to CNN.
“Man, I’m just born to be in it.” Beto O’Rourke seemed to come from nowhere to the brink of a presidential candidacy—but he’s been on this journey for his whole life. O’Rourke spoke with Joe Hagan. Photographs by Annie Leibovitz. https://t.co/WhmQGZnbUg pic.twitter.com/a7DCoaZdtd
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) March 13, 2019
Last November, his bid for the Senate came up short against incumbent Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Even with the loss, O’Rourke’s performance has created a sense of optimism for Democrats in Texas.
U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) … (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Forty-five percent of voters said they would “definitely vote” for someone else other than President Donald Trump if the 2020 election were held today, according to a survey conducted by the University of Texas and the Texas Tribune. That number jumps to slightly over 50 percent when looking those voters plus the voters who said they would “probably” vote for someone else.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez also said that they believe they can flip some seats in the House.