Beto O'Rourke Archives

Democrats-Texas-Midterm-Elections-like-Charlie-Brown

Politics & Policy|

November 10, 2022

Texas Democrats Are the Charlie Brown of Political Parties

Every two years, the party tries to kick the football—and every two years, it misses. Good grief!

By Michael Hardy

Politics & Policy|

November 2, 2022

The Mysteries of Texas’s Midterm Elections

Republicans are pursuing South Texas Latinos. Democrats are counting on the Dobbs abortion decision. Nobody knows who’s going to turn out to vote. And the polls are all over the place.

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Politics & Policy|

October 26, 2022

Why So Many Texans Don’t Vote

If nonvoters were a political party, they'd win every election in the state.

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Politics & Policy|

October 3, 2022

Is Dan Patrick Campaigning—Or Auditioning to Be a Travel Influencer?

The lieutenant governor’s rural bus tour looks more like an extended vacation than a reelection bid.

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texas governor debate Beto O'Rourke and Greg Abbott

Politics & Policy|

September 30, 2022

Friday Night Sound Bites: The Debate Between Beto O’Rourke and Greg Abbott Happened, but Did It Matter?

It’s become a Texas tradition to hold brief gubernatorial debates during high school football prime time.

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What questions should Abbott and Beto be asked at the debate?

Politics & Policy|

September 28, 2022

Greg Abbott and Beto O’Rourke Are Finally Debating. Here’s What They Need to Be Asked.

Ahead of Friday’s gubernatorial debate, Texas Monthly’s news and politics team came up with hard questions for both candidates.

By Texas Monthly

Democratic Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke speaks during a stop on his 49-day Drive for Texas tour Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in Midland, Texas.

Politics & Policy|

September 13, 2022

What Makes Beto Run—Again?

On his summer barnstorming tour of Texas, Beto O’Rourke argued that Republicans are waging war against Texas values.

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Books|

September 6, 2022

Is Everyone Welcome in Texas?

Three new books remind us that some of the issues roiling the state have been with us for a very long time.

By Andrew R. Graybill

Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa speaks at a rally at the state Capitol on June 20, 2021 in Austin, Texas.

Politics & Policy|

July 18, 2022

Texas Democrats Know They Need a New Leader. They Settled for the Old One.

At this weekend’s convention in Dallas, a contentious election for party chair revealed racial and gender-based fault lines.

By Michael Hardy

Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa speaks at a rally at the state Capitol on June 20, 2021 in Austin.

Politics & Policy|

June 28, 2022

Ten Years of Magical Thinking

Gilberto Hinojosa has led the Texas Democratic Party through a decade of failure. Some Democrats think that’s long enough.

By Michael Hardy

Greg Abbott passes in front of a memorial outside Robb Elementary School to honor the victims killed in the school shooting in Uvalde.

Politics & Policy|

June 7, 2022

Greg Abbott Once Promised to End School Shootings, but After Uvalde His Tone Has Changed

After ten Texans were murdered at Santa Fe High School in 2018, the Legislature passed seventeen school safety bills. They didn’t work.

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Republicans are not on the verge of winning the Hispanic vote in Texas

Politics & Policy|

April 29, 2022

Are Texas Republicans on the Verge of Winning Hispanic Majorities?

Greg Abbott says yes. New polling tells a different story.

By Jack Herrera

Cancelled Beto O'Rourke rallies in Comal County

Politics & Policy|

April 26, 2022

Cancel Culture Comes for Beto O’Rourke

The Democratic gubernatorial candidate says he wants to have a dialogue with Texans of all persuasions. But in one rural community, Republicans worked to make sure he would have no place to talk or listen.

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Politics & Policy|

March 10, 2022

Texas Democrats Have a Recruitment Problem

Beyond Beto O’Rourke, the candidates on the party’s statewide slate are short on experience in elective office and in statewide campaigns.

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Politics & Policy|

February 4, 2022

What Do Texans Want? Progressive Policies and Conservative Politicians.

That’s among our four takeaways from recent polling, as the primary election approaches.

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Politics & Policy|

January 14, 2022

Why Joy Diaz Is Challenging Beto O’Rourke in the Democratic Primary for Governor

The daughter of Mexico City missionaries and former public radio reporter thinks the El Paso congressman can’t reach Republicans—and she believes in miracles.

By Jonathan Tilove

Democratic presidential candidate and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro speaks on stage during a forum on gun safety on August 10, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Politics & Policy|

November 23, 2021

Julián Castro Was Once the Texas Democratic Party’s Future. Now He’s Adjusting to Life on the Sidelines.

The former mayor of San Antonio talks about his political future, Beto O’Rourke’s gubernatorial bid, and why Democrats are losing ground in South Texas.

By Jonathan Tilove

Beto O' Rourke at the south steps of the Capitol speaking about voting rights For The People Rally in Austin, TX.

Politics & Policy|

November 15, 2021

Exclusive: Beto O’Rourke Is Running for Governor

The former congressman from El Paso talked to Texas Monthly about why he thinks he can beat Greg Abbott, whether he regrets his 2020 presidential campaign, and whether his politics are too liberal for Texas.

By Jonathan Tilove

Beto O'Rourke challenging Greg Abbott for governor

Politics & Policy|

September 23, 2021

Beto O’Rourke Is the Democrats’ Least Bad Option to Challenge Greg Abbott

He isn’t as strong a candidate in 2021 as he was in 2018, but Beto O’Rourke is still the Democrats’ least bad option to challenge Greg Abbott.

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Politics & Policy|

August 13, 2021

Texas Democrats Are Relying On Politicians Who Lost in 2020 to Carry Them in 2022

Three failed candidates, including Beto O’Rourke, lead ambitious voter-registration efforts. And they're assuming no changes are needed in their positions.

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Politics & Policy|

February 11, 2021

There’s One Thing Missing in the Biden Administration: Texans

Lone Star Democrats have almost nowhere to hang their hats in the most diverse administration in U.S. history.

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Politics & Policy|

January 28, 2021

The (Fake) Beto Diaries, Vol. 6: I’m (Thinking About Being) Back, Baby

Our hero contemplates a run for governor.

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Politics & Policy|

November 6, 2020

Beto O’Rourke Kicked the Hornet’s Nest in 2018. Republican Votes Spilled Out.

After a too-close-for-comfort Senate race two years ago, the Texas GOP went into overdrive to ensure the state would not be won in 2020 by newly hopeful Democrats.

By R.G. Ratcliffe

Politics & Policy|

April 16, 2020

Bull Session: Louie Gohmert Has a Cure for the Coronavirus—Imagination!

Plus, the Texas Freedom Caucus projects its own dangerous fantasies, and even more stir-crazy pols.

By Sean O'Neal

Politics & Policy|

March 5, 2020

Bull Session: Did Biden Win Texas by Courting the Whataburger Vote?

Plus, Beto’s bandmate blasts his Biden endorsement, Mike Bloomberg comprende Tejas, Dan Crenshaw vs. Pete Davidson, and Dan Patrick vs. shirts.

By Sean O'Neal

Politics & Policy|

March 4, 2020

We Regret to Inform You That Liking Whataburger Is Not a Personality

Dear candidates: Please stop with the pandering.

By

Politics & Policy|

February 6, 2020

Bull Session: Donald Trump Remembers the Beautiful, Beautiful Alamo

Plus, Taylor Swift honors Beto O’Rourke in song, and hard-right scandalmongers Empower Texans expand into BBQ reviews.

By Sean O'Neal

Politics & Policy|

January 23, 2020

Bull Session: Greg Abbott’s Historic Summit With Wesley Snipes

Plus, Ted Cruz takes on Stephen King (again), Eliz Markowitz does her best Willie, America Ferrera leaves Vicente Gonzalez hanging, and more!

By Sean O'Neal

Politics & Policy|

January 16, 2020

Bull Session: Beto Is Still Out Here Standing on Stuff

Plus, Chip Roy blames California, Paul Bettencourt targeted by liberal hackers, and other extremely on-brand happenings

By Sean O'Neal

Politics & Policy|

January 9, 2020

Bull Session: Texas Republicans Rally Around Ricky Gervais and Enrique Iglesias Dances to the Tune of $485,000

Plus, Julián Castro and Beto O’Rourke are on the rebound, and Tony Buzbee is on another bender.

By Sean O'Neal

Politics & Policy|

December 26, 2019

The Last Decade’s Ten Worst Years in Texas Politics

We stumble down memory lane, gawking at the madness and the mayhem of 2010–2019—and looking for an off-ramp.

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Politics & Policy|

December 19, 2019

Bull Session: Remember the Alamo? And Wendy Davis? And That Peloton Ad?

Ever since 2014, the Alamo has become the locus of a notably less cinematic war, all raging around the controversial plan to renovate and redesign it.

By Sean O'Neal

Politics & Policy|

December 18, 2019

2020 Bum Steer of the Year: Beto O’Rourke

For abandoning the state that had lifted him up from obscurity, Beto O’Rourke is the winner of one half of our annual booby prize!

By Texas Monthly

Politics & Policy|

December 18, 2019

The 2020 Bum Steer Awards

Beto O'Rourke, Dennis Bonnen, and the Houston Astros make our annual dishonor roll, along with assorted lesser-known idiots and evildoers.

By Texas Monthly

Politics & Policy|

December 5, 2019

Bull Session: Rick Perry Beats a Hasty, Slow-motion Retreat

Chip Roy, Chris Putnam, and the specters of Trump and Beto were also running this week.

By Sean O'Neal

Politics & Policy|

November 6, 2019

Texas Counties Are Declaring Themselves ‘Second Amendment Sanctuaries.’ But What Does That Mean, Exactly?

Spooked by the gun control debate, some rural Texas communities say they will defy “unconstitutional” gun laws, though it’s not clear how they would do so.

By Ciara O'Rourke

Politics & Policy|

November 5, 2019

The (Fake) Beto Diaries, Vol. 5: Journey’s End

Our hero’s odyssey ends where it started: with him.

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Politics & Policy|

November 4, 2019

Beto’s Mega-Hyped Local Act Disappoints in Major-Label Debut

Despite obvious talent and a dedicated fanbase, the El Paso native’s big national release is uninspired.

By Sean O'Neal

Politics & Policy|

November 1, 2019

Beto O’Rourke Calls It Quits

When Beto left Texas, he lost his way.

By

Sports|

October 7, 2019

Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke Are Both Pretty Disgusted About the NBA Pandering to China

Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted support for protesters in Hong Kong, and all hell broke loose—in ways that even united the two rivals.

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Escobar in front of a mural by artist El Mac in downtown El Paso on April 6, 2019.

Politics & Policy|

September 19, 2019

Veronica vs. the Swamp

Veronica Escobar, the first Latina to represent El Paso in Congress, isn’t afraid of playing the Washington game—as long as it means the Texas borderlands get the respect they deserve.

By Robert Moore