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Aware that the 2020 Democratic primary is quickly taking shape, O. Rourke is expected to announce his candidacy this week rather than creating an exploratory committee.
He will also travel to eastern Iowa from Thursday for a meeting event in Burlington, said Democratic sources in that state.
The three-day itinerary for his first visit to the state's advance-polling state is meant to "leave him a meeting place with the voters," said another Iowa Democrat leader, who spoke with the advisers of Mr. O. Rourke. The trip will end Saturday with an election campaign in favor of a Senate candidate in Waterloo, followed by an event in Dubuque. A visit Friday to Des Moines was initially contemplated, but is not currently being prepared, as O 'Rourke plans to devote these three days to presenting himself to voters in East Iowa.
O 'Rourke is in his hometown of El Paso, Texas, this week before his trip to Iowa. On Monday, in a short video recorded in front of his home, he wore a cap from the University of Northern Iowa while he urged school students to vote for the Democratic candidate. at the special election of the Senate of the State.
A photographer was seen leaving O'Rourke's house late Tuesday morning, and a close team of collaborators working on his 2018 Senate had gathered in town.
Signs indicating that an announcement is imminent have also appeared on social media. On Facebook, O 's page – Rourke – who had not paid for advertising since his unsuccessful attempt to topple Republican Senator Ted Cruz had ended – began promoting more than 300 ads urging people to sit down. Register to be the first to know if he will run for president.
O 'Rourke has spoken to several Democratic advisers in recent weeks, some by phone and others during visits to El Paso. According to interlocutors familiar with the conversations, a recurring theme appeared, O 'Rourke asserting that he would only ask the Democratic nomination "that he could be himself" and that he would lead an unconventional campaign similar to that of the Senate where he could meet directly. the electors.
On Monday, O 'Rourke's associates pledged to travel to northeastern Iowa to help Eric Giddens, a Democrat who comes to the Senate. O 'Rourke's camp is advised in Iowa by Norm Sterzenbach, an experienced Democratic strategist, who has just terminated a contract with the Democratic Party of Iowa to prepare for to join a presidential campaign, indicated sources close to his projects.
Paul Tewes, who was Barack Obama's state director in Iowa in 2008, also advised O & # Rourke, said a source close to his role. Sterzenbach, Tewes and several advisers close to O & # Rourke did not respond to requests for comment.
In addition to his trip to Iowa, O 'Rourke also plans to visit other states in the primary calendar. Some Democratic members who worked on a movement project have been in contact with O & Rourke's collaborators and should be integrated into the campaign.
The events underscore the speed with which O 'Rourke – a little known Congressman before he reunites $ 80 million in the Senate against Cruz – is a national team, which other candidates have spent a lot of last year preparing for it.
In a statement to CNN and other media last month, Mr. O. Rourke said, "Amy and I have made a decision about the best way to serve our country and we are excited to share it. with everyone soon. "
Since then, all signs indicate that the campaign for the presidency will be continued. O & # 39; Rourke's team recently announced its "big announcement" in e-mails to supporters, and it has put in place a national campaign staff, reported CNN.
Following the premiere of an HBO documentary chronicling his unsuccessful 2018 US Senate campaign, "Running with Beto," at the South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, this past weekend, O & # Rourke dismissed a question about his plans for 2020 by hiring the local candidates the film.
"There are so many nominations and leaders that we've been involved in this incredible thing in Texas over the past two years, and it's going on, and we're very excited," he said. "We just want to continue to be part of it."
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