O’Rourke says he won’t unconditionally back Democrats

Presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke (D) declined to say he would unconditionally support down-ballot Democrats in 2020 if he becomes his party’s nominee. 

“I can’t take a pledge to support every single Democrat in the country,” the former Texas congressman told Deb Nelson, the chairwoman of the Hanover/Lyme Town Democrats in New Hampshire Friday, according to CNN. “I need to know about them first, right? Would you want me to make a blanket commitment about people I know nothing about, who I’ve never met?” 

{mosads}The conversation reportedly started when Nelson challenged O’Rourke about his refusal to endorse Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones in her 2018 race to unseat Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) in a swing district. Hurd ended up holding on to his seat by fewer than 1,000 votes. 

“Will Hurd, Gina Ortiz Jones’ opponent, the incumbent member of Congress and a good friend of mine, was someone who, in my day job as a member of Congress representing El Paso, I was able to work with,” O’Rourke responded, referencing a now famous road trip the two congressmen took together to get to the House in time for votes after their flight was delayed. 

Nelson was not satisfied with O’Rourke’s answer.

“I get friendships, I do, but I think in this day and age where somebody befriends a Republican and legislation that we think is important doesn’t get passed,” she told reporters.

“And I think that’s a concern. I know Gina Ortiz Jones was very close to winning in her district, and I know he made a decision not to endorse her, and he could be a friend and still endorse a Democrat who’s an Iraq War veteran and a strong candidate. And I’m concerned about that,” she added. 

O’Rourke’s campaign defended its strategy in its 2018 Senate bid, noting that O’Rourke appeared with Ortiz multiple times on the campaign trail and that O’Rourke said she would “make a truly great member of Congress.”

“Additionally, the Beto For Texas campaign’s voter ID information and voter contact data was shared with and available to Democrats up and down the ticket including Ms. Ortiz Jones,” Chris Evans, O’Rourke’s communications director, told CNN. 

“That included the voter IDs collected and created as Beto’s campaign knocked 4.1 million doors, made 20.8 million phone calls, and sent 37 million text messages to Texas voters. This was in addition to the more than 750 volunteer offices we opened that benefited candidates up and down the ballot,” Evans added.

O’Rourke credited bipartisanship with legislative success he achieved in Congress.

“Well, I was working with (Hurd) at the time and was able to get stuff done. Well, we expanded mental health care access for veterans in this country. I couldn’t declare as a Democrat, I had to find Republicans with whom we can get it accomplished. So that’s just my governing philosophy,” he said.

“Ask the people of Texas, what Democrat has done more to change Democrats’ prospects in the state of Texas than I have?” he added.

Nonetheless, Nelson did not believe legislative change could occur by cooperating with today’s Republican Party.

“I think you can be friends with Republicans, I think you can … drive across the country with Republicans, but I think when it comes to actually effecting legislative change, I don’t see it in this Republican Party.”