Beto O & # 39; Rourke changes his answer on the 2020 presidential race

AUSTIN, Texas – Democrat Beto O 'Rourke said Monday that he was not ruling out a bid for the 2020 presidency, recalling that he would not seek the White House without worrying about the outcome of his campaign in the Senate in Texas. O & # 39; Rourke said "60 minutes"Just a few days before polling day," winner or loser, I will not do it, I will not show up in 2020. "

O 'Rourke, a three-time Congressman who was defeated by Republican Senator Ted Cruz this month, was questioned during a public session in his hometown of El Paso, to find out if he was considering a candidacy for the presidency. He described a family vacation with his family last week – one thing he said he could not do for more than 18 months while defying Cruz.

O 'Rourke said that he was focusing on "being together as a family" and representing his district until he left the House on Jan. 3. But after that, he and his wife "will think about what we can do next to contribute to the best of our ability in this community".

The congressman then smiled at his wife, Amy, who was there, and asked, "How was it? Was it?"

O 'Rourke said the same way at "60 Minutes" that he wanted to focus on his family. "Amy and I are raising an 11 year old, 10 year old and 7 year old," said O & # Rourke. "And we have spent most of the last two years not together, missing birthdays, anniversaries and time together, and we– us– our– our family could not survive more of that. We, we must be together. "

O 'Rourke broke fundraising records and became a star in national political circles during his run against Cruz, which he lost by less than 3 percentage points. It was pretty close in deep red Texas to spark speculation that O 'Rourke might try to maintain the momentum given with a presidential campaign.

"I want you to be president," said a speaker at El Paso Town Hall. O & # rourke only smiled and changed the subject. He also declined to say he could agree to be on a Democratic list as a candidate for the vice presidency.

S addressing reporters later, O 'Rourke acknowledged that his last response was a departure from his earlier insistence that he was not interested in a presidential race. However, he did not provide any further details on what his next moves might be. According to the Texas Tribune, O 'Rourke reportedly said that now that the race in the Senate was "no longer possible", he and his wife "made the decision not to exclude anything".

"The best advice I've received from people who have fought and won – and fought and lost – elections like this, is: do not make any decisions about anything so much that you have not had time to hang out with your family and just be human, "said O & Rourke. "And so I'm this advice."

According to the Texas Tribune, Monday's town hall was the 102nd since taking office in early 2013. He said there are two left.