Texas democrat Beto O'Rourke announces bid to unseat Ted Cruz
AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Democratic U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke is giving the first campaign speech of his longshot 2018 campaign to unseat Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.
During a rooftop rally Friday in his hometown of El Paso, O'Rourke said: "I'm running to represent the great state of Texas in the U.S. Senate."
He noted that El Paso is a city of immigrants and among the safest in the nation despite bordering Mexico.
Cruz finished second to Donald Trump in last year's GOP presidential primary and remains powerful in Texas. The state hasn't elected a Democrat to statewide office since 1994.
Another Democratic U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro is also mulling a Senate run and expects to decide soon. He would be favored against O'Rourke in the 2018 Democratic primary.
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