Democrat Beto O'Rourke has ended his presidential campaign in an online post Friday afternoon.
I am grateful to all the people who made up the heart and soul of this campaign. You were among the hundreds of thousands who made a donation, signed up to volunteer or spread the word about this campaign and our opportunity to help decide the election of our lifetime.
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) November 1, 2019
But O'Rourke struggled to replicate that model in the presidential primary and both his polling and his fundraising dwindled significantly in recent months.
"Though it is difficult to accept, it is clear to me now that this campaign does not have the means to move forward successfully," he wrote on Medium. "Acknowledging this now is in the best interests of those in the campaign; it is in the best interests of this party as we seek to unify around a nominee; and it is in the best interests of the country."
The Texas Democrat unsuccessfully ran for Senate against Republican Ted Cruz in the 2018 election.
Born in El Paso, Texas, Sept. 26, 1972, O'Rourke is a fourth-generation native of the state, according to his Senate campaign website. O'Rourke spent some time in New York, but ultimately moved back to his home town and co-founded Stanton Street Technology Group, a software and technology company. His wife, Amy O'Rourke, was president of the company from January 2013 to April 2017.
O'Rourke was elected to represent Texas' 16th Congressional District in 2012. He ran again in 2014 and 2016, serving three terms before deciding to run for Senate in 2018.
O'Rourke married his wife in 2005. They are parents to two sons, Ulysses and Henry, and a daughter named Molly.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Cox Media Group
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