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Rep. Beto O'Rourke posts $2 million in fundraising in bid against Ted Cruz

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-El Paso, raised "more than $2 million dollars" in his first quarter as a U.S. Senate candidate, according to a statement he released on Facebook Thursday morning.

That sum is quite large for a challenger to a sitting Senator - it surpasses the fundraising of some U.S. Senate Democratic incumbents in other states who are the subject of major party pushes to hold their seats in 2018.

Texas, in comparison, is far less of a priority for the national party because of its size, conservative makeup and the high cost of advertising in the state.

"We raised more than $2 million over the last three months, from more than 45,000 unique donations, most of them from Texas, every one of them that wanted to take back our state, take back the senate and take back this country," O'Rourke said.

He added that none of that money came from "PACs or special interests or corporate donors."

more: https://www.texastribune.org/2017/07/13/beto-orourke-posts-2-million-fundraising/

He's been mentioned before here but Rep. O'Rourke is an up and coming Democratic politician hoping to challenge Ted Cruz for his Senate seat. You may remember him live streaming in mid-March 2017, his and Republican colleague Will Hurd of Texas's 23rd congressional district trip from Texas to Washington, D.C. in a rental car after an East Coast storm canceled many air flights.
 

kirblar

Member
If any republican loses a seat in 2018, it'll be Cruz. Dude is almost univerally reviled even among republicans.
Heller is in big trouble and it's why he's a hardliner on the Senate health care bill despite having no previous record of being one of the Senate GOP moderates.
 
Can't wait for presidump's incoming support for Cruz to keep his seat. He would totally still eat dirty rotten gum straight from the worst republican urinals even after all the massive public shits taken on his name.
 

Tarydax

Banned
Good on him for sticking to his principles, but it seems to me like he's tying his arm behind his back just like Russ Feingold did before.

Even if he did accept PAC and corporate donations, I wouldn't imagine he could beat Cruz in a state like Texas anyway, though.
 

Sub_Level

wants to fuck an Asian grill.
I think O'Rourke is losing this handily. Its a midterm so automatically that means less turnout.

Republican voters will just go by the R next to his name, not the name itself.
 

Blader

Member
I think O'Rourke is losing this handily. Its a midterm so automatically that means less turnout.

Republican voters will just go by the R next to his name, not the name itself.

Midterm turnout usually benefits the party that's not in the White House.
 
Trump only won 52% to Clinton's 43% and Cruz's unfavorability rating is looking worse and worse for him.

Yep. Texas will be competitive one day. Even if Beto loses, he can lay the groundwork for future Democratic challengers. Michelle Nunn did the same thing in Georgia's 2014 Senate race, which Democrats have a shot at winning in 2020.
 

geestack

Member
donated to his campaign and he's a pretty decent guy. i won't get my hopes up, but i will fight my hardest to get him elected.
 
I always wondered hot Cruz got elected, by all accounts not even his own family likes him

There was a Rachel Maddow segment about this, apparently there was incredibly low voter turn out the day of the Texas Senate seat primary because they had to delay it due to legal issues and Ted Cruz was able to win in the primary and eventually the run off because no one bothered to go and vote.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/new-scrutiny-on-cruz-after-wisconsin-win-660542531978
 

Shauni

Member
D

Deleted member 1159

Unconfirmed Member
Ted Cruz losing his seat would be so delicious. I'm not hopefull at all of a democratic senate coming out of 2018 but this would be a nice consolation prize
 

Slayven

Member
If any republican loses a seat in 2018, it'll be Cruz. Dude is almost univerally reviled even among republicans.

He's not losing. Senate republicans don't like Cruz. Activists in Texas (from hardcore conservatives to religious right members) still have his back. He'll be fine.
 
This is fantastic.

Hating money in politics and politicians who are too close to corporations is something almost everyone agrees on.

It's a significant long shot and I really am not sure I see it happening but if he does beat Cruz it'll be by attacking him on being an obvious corporate stooge who just wants to use the senate to get to the presidency
 

jtb

Banned
He's got a shot. Small shot, but a shot. Beto seems like a great guy and the right type of challenger to Cruz.
 
I guess if we can't get an Ann Richards type to run against Ted Cruz, an earnest-yet-handsome white guy with a Hispanic name who eschews big money and calls Cruz a corrupt shill will probably be the next best thing.
 
Folks need to stop doing this, that is why Maine is fucked up

That and because our three-party system has failed as insane people all vote for one sociopathic republican and everybody else splits between D and Independents.

Lest we forget that Paul LePage won the governorship with only 39% of the vote.
 

Slayven

Member
That and because our three-party system has failed as insane people all vote for one sociopathic republican and everybody else splits between D and Independents.

Lest we forget that Paul LePage won the governorship with only 39% of the vote.

With a number that low i think it should have triggered a re do.
 

Shauni

Member
He's not losing. Senate republicans don't like Cruz. Activists in Texas (from hardcore conservatives to religious right members) still have his back. He'll be fine.

If his initial win was really so narrow, I don't think it's totally out there. Although I don't expect it really either
 
I guess if we can't get an Ann Richards type to run against Ted Cruz, an earnest-yet-handsome white guy with a Hispanic name who eschews big money and calls Cruz a corrupt shill will probably be the next best thing.
He also speaks fluent Spanish. Definitely has a decent shot, IMO.
 
He certainly has my support.

I usually dislike inserting character into my politics, however, for Cruz I will make an exception. For all the horrible and unforgivable things Trump does, there's something that sparks the faintest hint of endearment that he'll endlessly, hopelessly defend his sons and Ivanka even in the face of well-deserved political embarrassment. Cruz, in contrast, almost stood up to Trump when he called his father a traitor and his wife a whore. His daughters get to grow up and learn their father is not just a disgusting human being, but also a weak, easily twisted, coward who not only put party above country, but above his own family.
 
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