FLORENCE, S.C. – Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas will become the next Democratic presidential candidate to visit Florence.

O’Rourke will appear at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Seminar Brewing. according to a news release issued by the campaign.

The Florence stop will be the last one in a two-day trip for O’Rourke. He’s also scheduled to hold a town hall in Charleston. There also are two events, one in Johns Island and one at Columbia’s Benedict College, that are not open to the general public on his itinerary.

The former congressman joins former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Kamala Harris from California, Mayor Pete Buttigieg from South Bend, Indiana, Sen. Cory Booker from New Jersey and author/activist Marianne Williamson as candidates who have made stops in the Pee Dee. Sen. Bernie Sanders visited Florence before declaring his candidacy, and his national campaign co-chair, Nina Turner, has been in the Pee Dee several times during the campaign.

O’Rourke served from 2013-2019 as a Congressman from Texas. He ran for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Ted Cruz in 2018, coming up just short to Cruz. O’Rourke announced his presidential campaign on March 14.

An El Paso, Texas, native, O’Rourke is a graduate of Virginia’s Woodberry Forest School — he transferred after two years at El Paso High School — and Columbia University, where he majored in English literature. Prior to being elected to Congress, O’Rourke served as a member of the El Paso City Council from 2005-2011. He also was involved in a website designing business and an arts and entertainment website in El Paso.

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.