U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Beto O'Rourke Beto O'RourkeJimmy Carter says his son smoked pot with Willie Nelson on White House roof O'Rourke endorses Kennedy for Senate: 'A champion for the values we're most proud of' 2020 Democrats do convention Zoom call MORE (D-Texas) on Monday urged Texas to lead the way in implementing a series of proposals to reform the criminal justice system.

In an op-ed for the Houston Chronicle, O’Rourke suggested eliminating private prisons, ending the “war on drugs,” halting mandatory minimum sentencing for nonviolent drug offenses, stopping the use of bail bonds and improving the re-entry system to assist those transitioning out of prison.

"Giving low-level offenders a second chance no matter the color of their skin or the economic status they hold can create opportunity for all of us," O'Rourke wrote.

ADVERTISEMENT

"It will help build a future that is more just, more fair, and more prosperous for every single person in this state and this country," he continued. "It is time for Texas to lead the way."

O'Rourke, who is running to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Trump previews SCOTUS nominee as 'totally brilliant' Cruz blocks amended resolution honoring Ginsburg over language about her dying wish Trump argues full Supreme Court needed to settle potential election disputes MORE (R-Texas), acknowledged that he was arrested in 1995 for jumping a fence at the University of Texas at El Paso, and again in 1998 for driving while intoxicated.

The congressman wrote that those incidents did not preclude him from pursuing his goals, but that the same opportunity is "denied to too many of our fellow Texans, particularly those who don’t look like me or have access to the same opportunities that I did."

O'Rourke's call to action on criminal justice reform comes days after President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE threw cold water on a criminal justice reform package being crafted in the Senate.

Trump said during a closed-door White House meeting that he has problems with the prison and sentencing overhaul package and indicated he would rather revisit the issue after November's midterm elections.

O'Rourke trailed Cruz by 4 percentage points among registered voters in an NBC News/Marist poll released last week.

Cruz has 49 percent support among registered voters in the survey, with 45 percent backing O’Rourke. About 6 percent of voters remain undecided.

The reliably red Texas has not had a Democratic senator since 1993.