U.S. Congressman Beto O'Rourke (D-El Paso) is officially running for the United States Senate in 2018.
O'Rourke filed his paperwork on Monday to officially earn a place on the Democratic Party's primary ballot to face Senator Ted Cruz in 2018. O'Rourke, an El Paso Democrat, turned in nearly 15,000 signatures in El Paso to earn the place on the ballot.
Following his filing, O'Rourke sent out a fundraising email to supporters, highlighting the filing as a milestone for the Democrat's Senate bid.
"This is a major milestone for our campaign, and we couldn't have made it here without you and your support," O'Rourke said in the email. "Time and again, we've called on this grassroots team to step up and help power our campaign -- and you've shown up in a really big way."
Beto O'Rourke is the first candidate from the Democratic Party to officially file for a spot on the primary ballot for the Senate race. On the Republican side, Cruz, media executive Bruce Jacobson Jr., former La Marque mayor Geraldine Sam and Houston attorney Stefano de Stefano are running.
Candidates have until December 11th to file for a spot on the ballot.
