Former Rep. Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke (D-TX) will make his first trip to Iowa, the first-in-the-nation caucus state, this weekend to campaign for a state Senate candidate, adding to the speculation that O’Rourke will soon enter the 2020 presidential race.
O’Rourke will visit the University of Northern Iowa to campaign for Democrat Eric Giddens, who on Monday evening posted a Twitter video of O’Rourke announcing his Saturday visit.
“What’s up UNI (University of Northern Iowa), Beto O’Rourke here in El Paso, reminding you that this Wednesday is the last day to early vote on campus for Eric Giddens. Supporting him for state Senate is the way that we get Iowa—and by extension, this country—back on the right track,” O’Rourke says in the video. “UNI, we’re counting on you, and we’re looking forward to seeing you soon. Adios.”
O’Rourke, who reportedly has ruled out challenging Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) in 2020, recently said he and his wife “have made a decision” about 2020 and added that they are “excited to share it with everyone soon.”
This weekend, O’Rourke attended the South by Southwest premiere of the “Running with Beto” documentary but sidestepped questions about whether he will run for president.
A Des Moines Register/CNN Iowa poll released this weekend found that O’Rourke has dropped six percentage points from the first Iowa poll that was released in December. O’Rourke got 5% in this weekend’s poll compared to the 11% he received in December’s.