Two new developments in Texas' race for the Class I United States Senate seat occurred at this weekend's Texas Tribune Festival.
In kicking off the festival, Beto O'Rourke (D-El Paso) spoke with Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith about his campaign and about his plans to win the election. As O'Rourke talked about his campaign against Cruz, he was asked by Smith whether he plans to invite House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California) to campaign with him.
O'Rourke said that he admires Pelosi, but will not ask her to campaign with him.
"No, I don't want Nancy Pelosi to come to Texas to campaign with me," O'Rourke said during his interview. "I don't want anybody from outside of Texas to come to Texas. I just want to meet with Texans."
The move follows O'Rourke's support of Pelosi's leadership challenger Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) earlier this year. O'Rourke was one of several Democrats who broke to support Ryan over Pelosi in the race for House Minority Leader.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz joined his fellow Senator, John Cornyn, in an interview with Evan Smith. During his speech to the festival, Cruz highlighted his campaign and his plans for victory in 2018.
Cornyn, who has a troubled past with Cruz, surprised the crowd with the announcement that he plans to support Cruz in 2018.
"I think it’s really important, particularly in light of the challenges brought by this huge natural disaster, that we stand together as a Texas delegation and there’s no space between Sen. Cruz and me when it comes to doing work for our state," Cornyn said in his interview. "So, I told him I’d support him in his re-election, and I think it’s important to do so to send the message that Texans: when it comes to something like the recovery after this natural disaster, that we are going to stand together and not be distracted."
Cornyn's announcement came as a surprise to many as Cruz did not openly support Cornyn during his re-election bid in 2014.
