Beto O’Rourke
Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke is coming to Arkansas next month as the keynote speaker at the Democratic Party of Arkansas’ annual Clinton Dinner.
Serving from 2013-2019, O’Rourke was the U.S. Representative for the 16th congressional district in Texas. In 2018, he challenged Sen. Ted Cruz for his position. According to the Houston Chronicle, Cruz won the race by a margin of only 2.6 percent, winning 50.9 percent of the vote to O’Rourke’s 48.3 percent.
O’Rourke has since become a fixture on the Democratic presidential trail, speaking during the first Democratic debate in June
DPA Chairman Michael John Gray praised O’Rourke and the advances he has made as a Democratic candidate in the South.
“Representative O’Rourke’s passion and energy are undeniable,” Gray said in a statement. “In 2018, his campaign defined what’s possible in the South, and he has continued to harness progressive energy in his presidential campaign. We are excited to host him in the Natural State.”
The dinner will be held at the Statehouse Convention Center on Saturday, August 17, from 7-9 p.m.
“I’m looking forward to joining everyone at this year’s Clinton Dinner,” O’Rourke said. “We believe in building a grassroots campaign that organizes everywhere, brings everyone in, and writes no state off — and we believe that people throughout Arkansas are critical to making it happen.”
The event will serve as a fundraiser to support elections for Democratic candidates in Arkansas. Tickets for the event are $125 and can be purchased here.
In addition to the Clinton Dinner, there will also be two other events held earlier that same week. On Thursday, August 15, the DPA will hold “A Naturally Blue Evening,” and on Friday, August 16, the organization will hold the “DPA Block Party.”
READ MORE: Takeaways from the Democratic Debates
