Multiple Democrats have come out of the woodwork saying that they're eyeing a potential run against President Donald Trump in 2020. Now, some of them are hitting the campaign trail to feel out their support, less than a month after the 2018 midterm elections.
Failed Texas Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke appeared at a town hall meeting with constituents in El Paso on Monday, the El Paso Times reported. During a question and answer session, members of the audience encouraged him to run for president, something O'Rourke said he hasn't ruled out.
O'Rourke said he's been focusing on being with his family and being a "normal" human being.
"That's what we're focused on now," he said. "Just being together as a family, making sure I deliver everything I can to the people I represent until Jan. 3," when his term is finished.
Once his term as representative for Texas' 16th Congressional District is over on Jan. 3, O'Rourke and his family will then begin evaluating his potential presidential run.
"Then Amy and I will think about what we can do next to contribute to the best of our ability to this community," he said.
When the media and the public began questioning a potential presidential run, O'Rourke contented that 100 percent of his focus was on winning the Senate race against Ted Cruz. Now that that race is behind him, he said he hasn't ruled out running for president.
"Now that that is no longer possible, we’re thinking through a number of things and Amy and I made a decision not to rule anything out," O'Rourke said. "The best advice I received from people who’ve run for, and won — and run for, and lost — elections like this, is: Don’t make any decisions about anything until you’ve had some time to hang with your family and just be human. And so I am following that advice."
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It's unclear when he's expected to make a decision.
Former New York City Mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg plans to stump in Iowa next week, the Des Moines Register reported. Bloomberg is showing up Des Moines to host a panel discussion on the screening of his new film, "Paris to Pittsburgh."
Bloomberg previously told the Associated Press that he anticipates deciding whether or not he'll run by early 2019.
"I think January, February would be about as late as you can do it and as early as you can gather enough information. Thanksgiving, Christmas and then maybe a few weeks into January — that’s when you really gotta sit down, talk to your advisers and say, ‘Look, do I have a chance?’" Bloomberg told the AP. "I think I know why I would want to run. I think I know what I think this country should do and what I would do. But I just don’t know whether it’s possible."
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is still mulling a potential run as well, but he doesn't have a set timeline on making a decision.
It's rumored that Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris are contemplating throwing their hat in the ring as well.
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