Congresswoman Kathleen Rice, a Democrat from New York who has represented a Nassau County congressional district since 2013, on Tuesday endorsed Representative Beto O’Rourke, a rising Democratic star who has entered the race to challenge Republican Senator Ted Cruz in Texas.
Ms. Rice explained in a post on Facebook why she would endorse Mr. O’Rourke, the 46-year-old El Paso congressman, who announced earlier in the day that he would be announcing his candidacy for the Senate.
“Beto O’Rourke has shown up for Texas every day since he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012, and after he wins the nomination for Senate, I will be proud to proudly stand with him and call on Texans to re-elect him to his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.”
“He is exactly the kind of fearless fighter we need in Washington. Beto and I have worked together at times over the years. But one of the reasons I’m proud to have endorsed Beto is because he stands up for what he believes in and does what he has to do to get things done — both in the House and in the Senate.”
Ms. Rice also noted in her post that “while Beto is a bit of a naysayer on the Affordable Care Act and the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Beto has fought for the women, the middle class, and, above all, Texas’ families.”
“By serving on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, his work on the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and in the El Paso delegation, he has worked hard on improving education, health care, and workforce development in El Paso and across Texas.”
Read the full Facebook post here.