NEWTON, Iowa (AP) – Beto O’Rourke barreled into the 2020 presidential race with breakneck energy and a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants campaign style.
But the former Texas congressman has seen his once rising poll numbers sag as he’s focused on crisscrossing the country rather than making national TV appearances, and prioritized in-person contact with voters over issuing detailed policy positions.
Now, with the early buzz fading, O’Rourke is planning to try again, staging an expected “reintroduction” in coming weeks.
One adviser says O’Rourke has entered an intentional “quiet period” lately, concentrating on building out campaign infrastructure. Soon, though, he will increase national media appearances and issue detailed plans on a number of top issues.
O’Rourke’s camp insists it’s not “Beto 2.0,” but the plan still constitutes a major change from his campaign’s heady opening days in mid-March.
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