Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke announced Thursday he’s running for the 2020 Democratic nomination.
The Texan, who came close to toppling Sen. Ted Cruz for his Texas Senate seat in 2018, revealed his decision in a video published to social media.
“The challenges that we face right now, the interconnected crises in our economy, our democracy, and our climate have never been greater,” O’Rourke said. “And they will either consume us or they will afford us the greatest opportunity to unleash the genius of the United States of America.”
“This moment of peril produces perhaps the greatest moment of promise for this country,” he added.
O’Rourke will be hoping to capitalize on the social media stardom he cultivated during his failed Senate run last year.
The 46-year-old joins a growing list of Democratic candidates vying for the Democratic nomination that already boasts Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
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Also in contention are Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Former Vice President Joe Biden is also expected to announce his intention to run in the coming weeks.
Cover image: Former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke speaks to a crowd of marchers during the anti-Trump ‘March for Truth’ in El Paso, Texas, on February 11, 2019. (PAUL RATJE/AFP/Getty Images)