A Liberal Congressman Forces Cruz Into a Toss-Up Race in Deep-Red Texas
- O’Rourke’s quirky campaign gets state’s Democrats energized
- Close fight for Senate seat could ripple into House races
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At historically black Prairie View A&M University near Houston, students lined up to see a middle-aged politician who many of them referred to simply as Beto.
That’s Beto O’Rourke, a liberal Democrat from El Paso, in the far western corner of the state. It’s a description that should eliminate him as a serious contender for the U.S. Senate in Texas, which hasn’t elected a Democrat to statewide office since 1994.