O’Rourke answers Dems’ call; we agree

We recommend Beto O’Rourke for the Democratic nomination for governor.

Texas’ last Democratic governor was Ann Richards, who was elected in 1990 and lost four years later to George W. Bush. No Democrat has served in statewide elected office since San Antonian Dan Morales ended his tenure as attorney general in 1999.

In an election year trending toward a Republican wave, O’Rourke is Democrats’ strongest hope to unseat Gov. Greg Abbott.

Yes, O’Rourke ran a poor campaign for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Nevertheless, he has expanded the influence he created among Texas Democrats with his captivating 2018 challenge of Sen. Ted Cruz, which made him a household name across the nation.

By virtue of name ID, presence, fundraising ability and enthusiastic statewide network of volunteers, O’Rourke is the de facto leader of Texas Democrats. And leaders respond to the call, even if the timing — in this case, amid a likely red wave — is inconvenient.

O’Rourke, who had a moderate voting record during his three terms as a congressman, is a political celebrity for good reason. He is thoughtful and fluent on issues, can galvanize the party’s base, and wants to appeal to Republican and independent voters. He’s uniquely suited to press Abbott and hold him accountable over issues such as last year’s power grid outage, Operation Lone Star and encroachment of local control.

In 2018, even while losing to Cruz, O’Rourke showed he had the coattails to pull other Democrats to victory, a factor that could matter in the race for Texas attorney general.

O’Rourke faces a handful of opponents in the primary, and we want to shower some praise on Joy Diaz, a former broadcast journalist who is making her first run for political office. Her enthusiasm and interest in public service is refreshing and inspiring.

But in 2022, O’Rourke is the strongest Democratic candidate for Texas’ highest elected office.