Convenience Big Store: Beto O'Rourke is recruiting midterm candidates

SALE: 25¢ for 3 Months of Unlimited Access

Warm up for summer! Local news, guides and more.

Sale Ends June 30

Beto O'Rourke isn't sure if he's going to run for office again.

But the Democrat told me in an interview that's not entirely the point of why he's traveling the state holding rallies this year in a way that's similar to what he did during his campaigns for governor and the U.S. Senate.

He has another series of town halls kicking off at 6:30 p.m. on June 27 at Stable Hall in San Antonio.

While he wants to give the public a platform to speak out, he also sees an opportunity to use the events to recruit people to run for office themselves, which he said would improve the prospects of whoever runs for U.S. Senate.

"One of the big reasons we got so close to beating Ted Cruz and a big reason you saw so many transformational changes that year was because of the candidates who were running in different positions on the ballot," O'Rourke said about his 2018 campaign, when he came within three percentage points of ousting Cruz.

He said while he tried to run the best campaign he could, he benefited greatly from the energy down the ballot, which included races for the Texas Legislature, county commissions and even for local judgeships.

That year, Democrats flipped two Republican-held congressional districts, 12 state legislative districts and key county judges races like in Harris County.

"We know that when we have that [energy], not only do we win some of these races that we weren't supposed to win, but it sends votes to the top of the ticket," O'Rourke said.

He said there's a professional, political world out there that tries to convince people it is harder to run for office than they think. O'Rourke himself was just a small businessman in El Paso when he decided in 2005 to run for the city council.

"It's as simple as just meeting the people you want to fight for in person and having conversations with them," he said. "And that's what these town halls are for."

At a rally in Humble two weeks ago, O'Rourke once again said he hasn't ruled out running again for office, maybe for U.S. Senate. Republican John Cornyn is up for re-election in 2026, and several Democrats are already eyeing the race. He told the crowd of about 1,500 people that his aim was to "do what is right and best for Texas."

For now, O'Rourke said that means giving people frustrated with policies coming out of Washington and Austin a chance to get together and be heard. He's already held nine town hall rallies over the last few months and has scheduled stops in Laredo, Tyler and Beaumont after the San Antonio rally.

For times, locations and how to attend any of the rallies, go to PoweredxPeople.org.

Note: There will be no Texas Take newsletter tomorrow as I'll be taking some time off. I'll be back in your inboxes Wednesday evening.

Jeremy Wallace, Texas politics reporter

jeremy.wallace@houstonchronicle.com

Who's Up, Who's Down

A daily stock market-style report on key players in Texas politics.

Up: Dustin Burrows.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform, the state's most prolific campaign donor, went after lawmakers for sinking its agenda this session and laid much of the blame on House Speaker Dustin Burrows. After TLR's president told the Houston Chronicle the group "may look at backing some primary challengers" and declined to comment on Burrows specifically, TLR said on social media that the speaker won't be in the crosshairs.

"To be clear, TLR has absolutely no plans to oppose Speaker Burrows' reelection," TLR wrote on X Friday afternoon.

Down: Group home clients and workers.

The Legislature raised pay from $10.60 to $13 an hour for the staff who support the roughly 15,000 people with disabilities statewide who live in group homes or small residential settings. But it's far less than the $17.50 an hour advocates said was necessary to retain and recruit staffers. The Texana Center, which serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across six counties west of Houston, is shuttering its 14 group homes over the next several months because of budget issues.

"This was not what we wanted to do," Texana Center CEO Shena Ureste said about the closures. "This was not a choice we wanted to make. The state gave us no other choice."

What do you think? Hit reply and let me know.

What else is going on in Texas

Red Snapper are pictured at Katie's Seafood Market in Galveston, TX on April 18, 2025. Scott Hickman, a fishing charter boat captain in Galveston is worried that cuts to NOAA puts the U.S. fishing industry at risk.

Photo by: Sharon Steinmann / Staff Photographer, Sharon Steinmann / Staff Photographer

How Trump's plans to boost catch limits could hurt Gulf fishermen

President Donald Trump is pushing to raise catch limits while cutting fisheries staff at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., waves to the crowd during a 'Fighting Oligarchy' event in Los Angeles, Saturday, April 12, 2025.

Photo by: Jae C. Hong, AP

Bernie Sanders bringing national 'Fighting Oligarchy Tour' to Texas

The 83-year-old Vermont senator is making appearances across the country. Three upcoming stops are in Texas.

Among all 50 states, Texas had the most fatal work injuries last year, with 58 workplace deaths.

Photo by: Paul Burns, Getty Images

More Texans died at work than in any other state last year, data shows

Texas led the states in workplace fatalities last year, according to OSHA reports. See why the state has especially dangerous working conditions.

President Donald Trump speaks during the congressional picnic on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Washington.

Photo by: Alex Brandon, AP

Fact check: Did Trump's pardons wipe out $1B in debt owed to the U.S.?

Liz Oyer, a longtime Justice Department attorney handling pardons, said Trump's pardons "wiped out over $1 billion in debts owed by wealthy Americans."

People make signs as hundreds gather at the

Photo by: Raquel Natalicchio, Staff Photographer

Photos from Houston's massive No Kings protest at City Hall

Thousands of protesters gathered at Houston City Hall on Saturday as part of No Kings protests across the country. Here's a look at photos from Houston Chronicle journalists.

A Houston Housing Authority legal brief, filed by the Fulton Law Group, included several fake quotes that it attributed to court decisions.

Photo by: Illustration by Susan Barber; photography by R.A. Schuetz

Lawyers representing the Houston Housing Authority in a legal fight over allegations that the agency wrongly terminated a woman's housing vouchers appear to have included over a dozen fake quotes in their most recent legal filing. Representatives for the private attorneys said the filing didn't undergo their usual multi-attorney review and included quotes that should have been paraphrased. A law professor at the University of Houston called the apparent blunder "very, very bad."

What else I'm reading

Forrest Wilder at Texas Monthly has a behind-the-scenes look at Miriam Adelson's failed push to legalize gambling in Texas and conservative activists and megadonors who have helped block it.