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Beto O’Rourke said Tuesday he’s giving serious consideration to a run for president and he’ll make a decision by the end of Feburary.

O’Rourke ran the most competitive Democratic statewide campaign in decades against GOP Sen. Ted Cruz for one of Texas’ U.S. Senate seats in 2018, but ultimately fell a few points short. In the process he became a darling of Democrats in Texas and around the country and generated buzz about a potential run for president in 2020.

O’Rourke told Oprah Winfrey in an interview on Tuesday afternoon that he’s “thinking about running for president.” The friendly crowd watching the taping applauded.

"I’m so excited at the prospect of being able to play that role,” O’Rourke said.

He said the final determination will be if his family is OK with him running for president.

O’Rourke also put forth a timeframe for a decision for the first time, saying he would need to choose “really soon.”


“Before the end of this month,” O’Rourke said.