He said a “big part” of his campaign is “recognizing that and understanding that others have not — (and) doing everything I can to ensure that there is opportunity and the possibility for advancement and advantage for everyone.”

“As a white man who has had privileges that others could not depend on, or take for granted, I’ve clearly had advantages over the course of my life,” O’Rourke told NBC’s “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd during a campaign stop in Iowa on Saturday.

Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas acknowledged that he’s benefited from “privileges,” as he responded to a question about being a white, male candidate in a diverse, crowded field of Democrats running for president in 2020.

WATCH: @chucktodd talks with @BetoORourke in Iowa about being a white male candidate in a diverse, crowded field of Democrats #MTP "As a white man who has had privileges that others could not depend on or take for granted, I’ve clearly had advantages over the course of my life." pic.twitter.com/p79wl0jm62

O’Rourke, who rose to national prominence with a strong but ultimately unsuccessful challenge to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in the 2018 elections, has faced some criticism about comments he made since announcing his White House candidacy last week on issues of race, gender and double standards ― especially with an unprecedented number of women vying for the Democratic presidential nomination.

On Friday, for example, he apologized for joking that his wife has been raising their three children “sometimes with my help.”

“Not only will I not say that again, but I’ll be more thoughtful going forward in the way that I talk about our marriage, and also the way in which I acknowledge the truth of the criticism that I have enjoyed white privilege,” he said during a podcast taping in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.