- Title: Democratic U.S. Representative Beto O'Rourke concedes defeat to Cruz
- Date: 7th November 2018
- Summary: EL PASO, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 6, 2018) (REUTERS) ****WARNING: CONTAINS PROFANITY*** U.S. REPRESENTATIVE BETO O'ROURKE AND WIFE AMY MAKING THEIR WAY ONTO STAGE EMBRACING AS CROWD CHEERS AND APPLAUDS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE BETO O'ROURKE SAYING: "I want to thank this amazing campaign of people, not a dime from a single pack, all people all the time in every single part of Texas. All of you, showing the country how you do this so fucking proud of you guys." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE BETO O'ROURKE SAYING: "And for the last 22 months has been traveling every single county of Texas being there to listen to and show up for every single one of us. I'm as inspired, I'm as hopeful as I have ever been in my life and tonight's loss does nothing to diminish the way that I feel about Texas or this country." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE BETO O'ROURKE SAYING: "Thank you El Paso, thank you Texas. Thank you every single one of you for making this possible. I am grateful, I am grateful thank you." O'ROURKE CONCLUDES WAVES AND IS JOINED BY WIFE AMY
- Embargoed: 21st November 2018 06:11
- Keywords: democrat republican senate midterms race
- Location: EL PASO, TEXAS, UNITED STATES
- City: EL PASO, TEXAS, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA00195I9OW7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Democratic U.S. Representative Beto O'Rourke failed on Tuesday (November 6) in his long-shot attempt to oust Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz from his seat in deeply conservative Texas.
O'Rourke, a 46-year-old former punk rocker and three-term U.S. congressman captured the national spotlight and smashed an 18-year-old fundraising record - raising $61.8 million during his campaign, almost twice his rival's $35.1 million.
He fell short by several percentage points on Tuesday, after significantly trailing Cruz in opinion polls for most of the year.
Cruz, 47, who was first elected to the Senate in 2010 on a wave of fury in the conservative Tea Party movement over Democratic then-President Barack Obama successfully rallied Republican voters to offset this year's Democratic anger over President Donald Trump.
The result helped end Democrats' hopes of taking control of the Senate. But Democrats took over the U.S. House of Representatives, according to media projections, setting the stage for a divided Congress.
Texas has not sent a Democrat to the Senate in three decades.
The crowd at O'Rourke's election night party quieted as word of his loss spread through the room.
But some held out hope that O'Rourke still had hope to run for higher office.
O'Rourke, of El Paso, has embraced the Democratic Party's liberal wing, supporting universal healthcare and expressing openness to calls to abolish the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE).
The Democrat also dared to challenge one common orthodoxy in the state, calling for reform of gun laws, including stricter background checks and a ban on assault-style rifles. Cruz criticized O'Rourke for that in a state where guns have long been part of the culture.
Texas last elected a Democratic U.S. senator in 1988, when Lloyd Bentsen won his fourth six-year term in office. Bentsen stepped down in 1993 to become Treasury secretary under Democratic President Bill Clinton. Five months later, the Democrat appointed by then-Governor Ann Richards to succeed Bentsen was voted out in a special election. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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