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Policy on Purpose

Policy on Purpose is a podcast from UT Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs dedicated to exploring the tangible impacts of policy and public service on today’s world.

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Beto O’Rourke

Robert “Beto” O’Rourke was a Democratic candidate for president of the United States in 2020. He announced his candidacy on March 14, 2019. On November 1, 2019, O’Rourke announced he was ending his campaign.

From 2013 to 2019, O’Rourke was a Democratic member of the U.S. House, representing Texas’ 16th Congressional District. He was first elected in 2012 after defeating incumbent Rep. Silvestre Reyes in the Democratic primary. O’Rourke also served on the El Paso City Council from 2005 to 2011.

In 2018, O’Rourke was a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas. Incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz (R) defeated O’Rourke in the general election by a margin of 3 percentage points.

Prior to his public service he helped to found and run a business technology firm in El Paso. He lives there with his wife, Amy, and their three children.

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