Beto O'Rourke, the Texas congressman who became a party sensation when he gave one of the nation's most prominent conservatives a run for his money, has announced his candidacy for the presidency.

As USA Today reports, Rep. Robert Francis O'Rourke gained national attention challenging Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. He fell short by less than 3 percentage points, a margin closer than the state had seen in decades.

“I want to be president because I feel that we can bring this country together. We can unify around our ambitions, our aspirations, the big things that we know we are capable of when all of us have the opportunity to contribute,” Rep. O’Rourke said.

He joins a growing list of Democratic contenders, most of whom fall to his left, politically.

A native of El Paso, Texas, Mr. O'Rourke says his take on the immigration issue is more "nuanced" than that of the Trump Administration.

He was elected to the U.S. House in 2013. Before that he served on the El Paso City Council.

While skeptics note his lack of experience on the national scene, supporters tout his personal charisma and relatively moderate political positions.

[Source: USA Today]

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