Beto O’Rourke: ‘I’m as Hopeful as I’ve Ever Been in My Life’

In his concession speech, O’Rourke said goodbye to a crowd in El Paso, promising that “We'll see you out there down the road.”

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Beto O’Rourke makes his concession speech at his election night party in El Paso.  AP Photo/Eric Gay

Just after 10 p.m., Beto O’Rourke took the stage at the baseball stadium for the El Paso Chihuahuas to The Clash’s “The Clampdown,” which became something of a campaign mantra ever since he slipped in a reference during his first debate against Ted Cruz.

The crowd had grown rather restless and demoralized in the hour before he came on, as it became clear that he wasn’t going to pull off an historic upset. Many people were tearing up.

A local musician (didn’t catch his name) was killing time on stage, playing sad acoustic music, literally wailing at times. It was a rather fitting musical choice for the moment. “You guys doing alright?” he asked after one song. The answer was not resounding. “There’s a bigger picture, right?” he asked, straining for optimism.

But as Beto took the stage, he brought the crowd back to life. “I’m as inspired, I’m as hopeful as I’ve ever been in my life,” O’Rourke said. “And tonight’s loss does nothing to diminish how I feel about Texas and this country.” He promised to continue fighting for a more aspirational Texas and country, to transcend the little shit. He said he’d even work with Cruz if it meant getting Texas to lead on things like universal health care and immigration reform. He applauded his campaign staff and the people who fueled his bid “To do what no one thought was possible — to build a campaign solely comprised of people, damning the differences. … None of that small stuff matters now.”

And then, he said goodbye, promising that “We’ll see you out there down the road.” His implicit message: Whatever he does, this won’t be the last we see of Beto.

covers politics and state government for the Texas Observer. He previously worked for The American Prospect magazine in Washington, D.C., and has also written for The Intercept, The New Republic, and In These Times. Originally from the Twin Cities, he received a journalism degree from the University of Minnesota.

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