He’s at least talking about the possibility.
Beto O’Rourke
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer met with former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke last week to discuss a possible 2020 Senate campaign against GOP Sen. John Cornyn, according to a source familiar with the meeting.
O’Rourke, a Democrat who lost narrowly against Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018, is considering running for president and hasn’t publicly discussed running again for Senate in 2020. But he also hasn’t ruled it out.
[…]
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-Texas) — 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,” a source close to Castro told POLITICO. “Otherwise, Joaquin will absolutely consider jumping in and finishing the job.”
As the story notes, we should know by the end of the month if Beto is mounting a Presidential campaign, which would almost certainly take him out of the running for Senate. That doesn’t mean he’ll run for Senate again if he decides against a Presidential bid, but we’ll have a bit more clarity on where things stand. The story also notes that MJ Hegar and Wendy Davis are looking at a Senate bid, which may apply a bit of pressure to Beto to pick a direction. The possibility that Joaquin Castro might try for the Senate intrigues me. I’ve discounted the idea of Joaquin running for Senate on the grounds that he’d be giving up four terms of seniority in what is now a Democratic Congress, with a sure path to leadership opportunities, for at best a coin flip for Senate. Obviously, I could be wrong about his thinking or his risk appetite.
I don’t know how this will be sorted out. I do think in the end, either 1) Beto announces for Senate and everyone else goes and does other things, or 2) Beto makes it clear he’s not running for Senate, and it becomes open season for whoever wants in. In the end, I think we’ll wind up with a strong candidate for Senate, whether Beto or Joaquin or MJ or Wendy or someone else. Mostly, I’m glad we’re talking about this now, and working towards getting someone officially declared now, so we can start fundraising and organizing for that person. One of the lessons learned from 2018 was that an early start was a benefit in many ways. We have the advantage of learning from and building on 2018 as we prepare for 2020. We’re running against a stronger candidate who sees us coming this time, so we’ll need every advantage we can get. The Current has more.
I mean, good for Beto, but at this point it looks like Cornyn might just run as a Democrat this go round. He just voted for the bill that de facto legalizes millions of illegal aliens.
Now illegals just need to know two things. First, “asylum.” Oh, gee, sorry, you can’t deport me. And now the other key phrase is “potential sponsor of illegal alien child.”
Hey, you can’t deport me, because at some time in the future, I may sponsor an illegal alien child that you also can’t deport.
I mean, good on y’all if you want to run Beto, but you’ve already got a Democrat in the position. Cornyn hasn’t come out for tearing down all the existing wall like Beto has, so there are a few policy differences.
Bill, thanks for the laugh, especially because you seem serious.
Cornholio Cornyn has been Ted Cruz lite for eight years and has moved further right with each election.
Bill, I guess next you will tell us that frogs have wings.
By the way since your president signed the Bill that puts him in the same category as Cornyn and all the Republicans that voted for it.
What are you going to do Bill, all your heroes turned out to be phony.
Well, that makes three of us that want Cornyn gone, four, if we count Kuff.
I will personally support any primary challenger Cornyn has.
I’m also very disappointed that Trump will sign the bill, even though it had a veto proof majority. Damn, man, have a little pride. At least make the Congress formally override you.
I’m giving full credit where it’s due. It was a good day for Dems, and proof that there’s two sides….a uniparty, and then there’s Trump and his band of pissed off American patriots.
Off Topic, but here’s Dems, who are supposed to be pro gun control, denying a gun control measure that a Pub wanted to add to their gun control bill……notifying ICE when a gun buyer background check shows that an illegal alien is trying to buy a gun. Nope, we don’t want THAT kind of gun control. We’re really only interested in infringing on the rights of citizens to get guns. Illegal wants to buy a gun illegally? Nope, not interested in that, definitely not.
https://www.floridadaily.com/democrats-kill-greg-steubes-proposal-to-contact-ice-when-illegal-immigrants-try-to-buy-guns/
You’re such a Trump fanboy, yet you’ve never looked at his record??? No, wait, that question answers itself. But had looked at that record, you wouldn’t have been shocked. He caves when faced with someone he cannot bully. He is a coward.
The wall is a boondoggle vanity project, built on a foundation of LIES. Trump lies his ass off in El Paso, and he did it again yesterday with his non-emergency declaration. Anyone who supports undermining the check and balances in service of a brazen lie is a toady, not a patriot.
And Bill, if you try the “but, but Obama” route, I have plenty of facts that are not your freinds.
Bill about the only place where the version that the crazy guy from Florida that wanted to kick out the parents of students killed by guns in Florida, is one lonely article from a right wing site, from what I could tell.
That guy you site is nuttier than my pecan tree when it full of nuts.
What he wants to do is stop a gun control bill from passing Congress, it already has more votes than necessary.
Since you did not know that your president signed the budget bill, I think I can safely assume you have one or two right wing crazy sites you go to get your daily douse of propaganda from the fascist right that wants to make America White Again.
Fly,
Is the current wall that existed when Trump got to Washington a vanity project built on a foundation of lies? Why is there existing wall? Who would have voted for and supported such abomination? Is the existing wall immoral? Do you, like Beto, want to rip all that existing wall down?
I’m a little slow, but even I understand, if I am trying to get in somewhere, I find the weak point and then enter there. Hey, you locked your front door! Sweet! Does that really help you if I walk all around your house and find that you left a window in the back unlocked?
If you were there yesterday, facing Angel Familes, would you be as flippant as you are with me? I’ve only suffered a damaged rear bumper at the hands of illegals, and of course, higher taxes. Other people, like the Angel Families, have suffered much worse. But you won’t get it until it is YOU or YOUR loved ones hurt or killed by someone who does not belong here.
“Is the current wall that existed when Trump got to Washington a vanity project built on a foundation of lies? Why is there existing wall? Who would have voted for and supported such abomination? Is the existing wall immoral? Do you, like Beto, want to rip all that existing wall down?”
Your logical fallacies are showing, Bill- this is a classic “move the goalposts”. There are barriers in places where it makes sense to have a barrier. I have NEVER argued against those, nor advocated for tearing them down. Trump’s vision doesn’t make sense, and it is NOT supported by the facts.
“I’m a little slow, but even I understand, if I am trying to get in somewhere, I find the weak point and then enter there. Hey, you locked your front door! Sweet! Does that really help you if I walk all around your house and find that you left a window in the back unlocked?”
Houses are piss poor analogies to walls in remote places. Can you figure out why?
“If you were there yesterday, facing Angel Familes, would you be as flippant as you are with me? I’ve only suffered a damaged rear bumper at the hands of illegals, and of course, higher taxes. Other people, like the Angel Families, have suffered much worse. But you won’t get it until it is YOU or YOUR loved ones hurt or killed by someone who does not belong here.”
Ohh, an appeal to emotion!! So calling out lies is flippant now? Saying that most of the drugs don’t go through ports of entry is a LIE, contradicted by the DEA. Trump’s narrative about El Paso’s crime rate is pure fiction. USMCA isn’t going to pay for the wall, even if it gets approved. The number of illegal crossings is DOWN (applying for asylum isn’t illegal) from 2000. There is no crisis, other than the political one that is entirely of DonnieDipshit’s own making. A year ago he could have had $25 billion for border security and a wall, but mr-art-of-the-deal managed to “negotiate” that down to $1.375 billion.
I absolutely would tell those families that their grief is being exploited by a slimy lying con man, who cares about nothing but himself. Because that is the unpleasant truth.
The calculus for a 2020 Senate run depends heavily on the impact of the Presidential race. Will Trump help or hurt Cornyn? How does the nominated democrat affect turnout? How much would a second close loss in a Senate race hurt Beto’s chances for 2024?