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'Draft Beto' Draws A Crowd At Concord House Party

james pindell via Twitter

Democrats hoping for – or at least intrigued by – a potential Presidential run by former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke gathered in Concord  Wednesday.

The Draft Beto campaign launched on the heels of O’Rourke’s loss to Ted Cruz in a Texas U.S. Senate race. The loss was closer than expected. O’Rourke’s message of uplift and his social media skill helped him raise  $78 million.

In Concord, the Draft Beto event was held at the home of Concord lawyer Jay Surdukowski. Attendees could sip Beto Beer – Bud Light – or tipple Beto’s vodka – bottles of Tito’s plastered with O’Rourke’s face -- as a Draft Beto organizer read from an O’Rourke’s Medium post.

Credit josh rogers / nhpr

The full house of young (and not so young) activists speculated on the former Texas congressman's political future, and handicapped the still embryonic 2020 Democratic primary.

Carlos Cardona is chairman of the Laconia Democrats.

“Beto, Beto has an energy to him that is contagious. I was in Texas for one of his rallies. There is something about him that you can’t just dismiss.”

O’Rourke is scheduled to be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey on February 5th. Plenty in this room said they hope he signals his 2020 intentions then.

Josh has worked at NHPR since 2000.
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