Running! is a Teen Vogue series on getting involved in the government.

Congressman Beto O’Rourke is in the midst of an epic senate race against Republican incumbent Ted Cruz in the crimson-red state of Texas (where no Democrat has held statewide office since 1994).

O’Rourke, who already sits in the U.S. House of Representatives for the state’s 16th district, doesn’t accept any PAC or corporate donations and won’t consult with outside pollsters. He prefers to work with young staffers from his native El Paso on his mission to visit all 254 counties in Texas. The formerly touring punk rocker is the cosponsor of a congressional bill to legalize marijuana. Because he's from the west Texas border town of El Paso, O'Rourke wants to bring a strong voice for humane immigration reform to the Senate, and a wealth of personal experience and insight to back it up.

Despite his underdog image, O’Rourke’s campaign has impressive momentum building. So far in 2018, he’s raised dramatically more money than Cruz, with over 43,000 individual donations adding up to $2.2 million in the first 45 days of the year. Democrats in Texas have also set a new record for early voter turnout in March’s primary election, fueling optimism that Texas really can turn more blue for 2018’s midterm elections.

O’Rourke’s campaign coordinator, 24-year-old Brianna Carmen of El Paso, describes O’Rourke’s philosophy as “throwing out the traditional playbook” of Texas candidates, who typically focus on big cities like Houston, Austin, and Dallas. Carmen tells Teen Vogue, “I think Beto’s punk rock past really influences how he wants to tour every place; he wants to meet the people. It’s him on the road; it’s him meeting you where you are.” This influence is apparent in the way O'Rourke is running his senate campaign, live-streaming everything as he crisscrosses the state to visit towns seldom seen by politicians.

Houston high school senior and O’Rourke campaign “super volunteer” Lekha Sunder (18) tells Teen Vogue, “A huge part of O'Rourke's philosophy is making sure that marginalized groups and groups that have otherwise been neglected feel like they have a voice in American politics.” She said that’s why he’s so eager to see small Texas towns and to talk at Texas high schools.

Campaign volunteer Ricky Longoria (16, of Falfurrias, Texas) found out about O’Rourke through Facebook. He emphasizes that it’s this accessibility that makes O'Rourke different. “I like that he’s always live-streaming his events,” Ricky told Teen Vogue. “And he’s always informing people what he’s doing.” Always is the key word here. O’Rourke’s campaign has live-streamed everything from a game of “donut roulette” in the car with his mom and staffers to four town halls in a single day.