First came the new beard, a sartorial choice that fellow bearded Texan Ted Cruz called “nice.” Then, on Friday, came the follow-up: in an email to supporters, Beto O’Rourke announced the formation of Powered By People, a grassroots organization intended to bring together Democratic volunteers in Texas. Beto’s goals for his new initiative are ambitious. “Together, we will help [Texas State congressional candidate Eliz Markowitz] win her race, help Democrats take control of the State house, elect more Democrats to Congress and work to defeat Donald Trump in Texas,” he wrote.

Altogether, the announcement suggests a more behind-the-scenes post-campaign life for O’Rourke, who initially rose to prominence in part by streaming everything from dentist visits to free skates across Whataburger parking lots. The Beto show continued, naturally, on the campaign trail, where O’Rourke stood on various counters, criss-crossing the country to hear from a wide swath of voters. For some, his switch from frontman to stage manager is bound to be a disappointment. Just after he dropped out of the presidential race, some Democrats hoped he would make another Senate run, this time seeking to oust Trump ally John Cornyn. However, O’Rourke made clear in a Texas Tribune interview earlier this week that he had no plans to directly involve himself in the race, either as a candidate or through an endorsement. Instead, he said, he is turning his attention to the grassroots level, focusing on flipping the State house blue. “Everything flows up from that,” he said.

While such an effort might not capture national attention, as his insurgent bid to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz did in 2018, it could have a substantial impact. Long a reliable Republican stronghold, shifting demographics and a changing political landscape have made Texas a prime candidate for a Democratic takeover either in 2020 or shortly thereafter. As a secret GOP recording published in October revealed, Texas Republicans have already grown concerned that its state legislature could shift leftward, just ahead of an important redistricting process.

In working at the grassroots level, O’Rourke is bringing some political star power to key down-ballot races, not to mention “[energizing] the broad grassroots support necessary for the Democratic Presidential nominee to win Texas’ 38 electoral college votes—our best shot at defeating Trump and Trumpism forever.” Texas Democrats have already thrown their energy behind a state-wide voter registration effort—something Republicans are eyeing warily. “There’s a lot of excitement around Beto, we want to make sure we come to 2020 with as much enthusiasm as he got,” Republican Party of Texas spokesman Sam Pohl told CBS in September. “We want to make sure we can counter that. I still firmly believe there’s more Republicans in Texas than Democrats.”

More Great Stories From Vanity Fair

— Wildly incriminating emails show the White House knew Trump was extorting Ukraine

— Is Rudy Giuliani truly in trouble?

— The secret life and strange death of Quadriga cofounder, Gerald Cotten

— The hunt for Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged enabler Ghislaine Maxwell

— New polling suggests Democrats’ impeachment push could alienate key voters

— From the Archive: Inside Jeffrey Wigand’s epic multibillion-dollar struggle

Looking for more? Sign up for our daily Hive newsletter and never miss a story.