Beto for America
September 11, 2019

More than 100 Texas Elected Officials and Community Leaders from Across the State Proudly Endorse Beto for President on the Eve of Houston Democratic Debate

In 2018, Beto put Texas in play. With his strong support from those across Texas, he can win the state’s 38 electoral votes and defeat Donald Trump
 
EL PASO, TX－More than 100 elected officials and community leaders from every region of Texas have proudly endorsed Beto O’Rourke for President of the United States as Houston prepares to host the third Democratic primary debate. The diverse group of more than 70 elected officials includes local leaders, city and county representatives, and members of the Texas State House, Texas State Senate, and United States House of Representatives. The community leaders supporting the former El Paso Congressman include activists and organizers on the frontlines of the state’s efforts to fight climate change, end gun violence, protect Dreamers, reform the justice system, secure LGBTQ+ equality, expand workers’ rights, and achieve universal health care. 

The full list of Beto’s more than 100 Texas endorsers can be found here. 

In 2018, Beto unlocked Texas’s 38 electoral votes by building a historic grassroots campaign that forever transformed Texas and put the state in play for the first time in decades. Swinging the state by 25 points since 2014, he received more votes than any Democrat in Texas history, won Independents for the first time in decades, and got the support of nearly half a million Republicans while running on a progressive agenda. Beto’s diverse coalition organized on the ground across the state, which led to a robust 36% increase in support from Latinx Texans and a 35% increase in support from women throughout Texas when compared to the state's last Democratic Senate election results. Young voter turnout also increased by more than 200%. With a diverse coalition like this in battleground states across the country and robust support throughout Texas, Beto can win the state’s 38 electoral votes, put new places in play, defeat Donald Trump, and bring this deeply divided country together again. 

Polling in Texas continues to show Beto running in the top two out of more than 20 primary candidates. A new Texas Lyceum Poll showed him leading in the state among women voters, Latinx voters, and young voters. A University of Texas at Tyler survey also found that Beto is beating President Trump by double digits in the general election. No other Democratic candidate’s lead over Trump exceeded the margin of error. The Texas primary takes place on Super Tuesday, and the state has 228 delegates that are awarded proportionally.

About Beto:

Beto O’Rourke is a fourth-generation Texan, born and raised in El Paso. After graduating from Columbia University with a degree in English Literature, Beto returned home and started a small technology business that would grow to bring dozens of high-wage, high-skill jobs to the border community. He ran for the El Paso City Council in 2005 and upon being elected became one of the youngest members to ever sit on the council. Beto served two terms before running for U.S. Congress in 2012, taking on a 16-year incumbent and winning. He personally knocked on thousands of doors and held public forums with voters in both Spanish and English.

He would represent one of the world’s largest binational communities in Washington, DC for six years, serving on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, the House Armed Services Committee, and the House Committee on Homeland Security. Regularly returning home, he held monthly all-comers welcome town halls in El Paso where he could hear directly from his constituents. In Congress, he successfully enacted laws that improved access to health care for veterans, added urgent mental health resources for service members and permanently protected thousands of acres of natural land. As a leading voice on immigration and a lifelong advocate for the U.S.-Mexico border, Beto organized a 2,000 person Father’s Day march to Tornillo to raise awareness of family separation. He would continue returning to the camp until all of the children were successfully released.

In March of 2017, Beto launched a historic 19-month campaign to represent all 28 million Texans in the U.S. Senate. Running the largest grassroots campaign the state had ever seen, he rejected all money from political action committees and personally visited each one of the 254 counties of Texas as he held over 350 town hall discussions. Beto ultimately received more votes than any Democrat in Texas history as he excited thousands of first-time voters to go to the polls. Beto is married to Amy, and they are raising their three children -- Ulysses, Molly, and Henry -- in El Paso.