Beto O'Rourke heading to Iowa with all signs pointing to 2020 presidential run

Iowa has been the making - and breaking - of countless White House campaigns

Democrat Beto O’Rourke is to campaign in the politically crucial state of Iowa – the latest indication the former congressman who soared to international prominence will run for the presidency in 2020.

A spokeswoman for Mr O’Rourke confirmed he will visit the state this weekend and campaign with Eric Giddens, who is running in a special election for a state senate seat.

“Beto will be in Waterloo on Saturday to kick off an afternoon of canvassing, [get out the vote] and grassroots organising for state senate candidate Eric Giddens,” tweeted Mr O’Rourke’s communications director, Chris Evans.

Earlier, Mr Giddens had tweeted a video of the 46-year-old Texan wearing a University of Northern Iowa hat and encouraging students to support the fellow Democrat in the upcoming race.

“Supporting him for state senate is the way that we get Iowa, and by extension, this country, back on the right track,” Mr O’Rourke says. “We’re counting on you, and we’re looking forward to seeing you soon. Adios.”

Mr Giddens, until a few weeks ago merely just another local politician trying to get elected, has in recent weeks become the focus of extraordinary national attention – simply because he is running in Iowa. The Associated Press reported that recently, California congressman Eric Swalwell called to congratulate him the day he won the nomination for a surprise special election, and senator Kamala Harris followed up the next day.

Elizabeth Warren this month helped him launch his campaign, while Montana governor Steve Bullock, who is also considering a possible 2020 run, drank a beer with him at a bar at the University of Northern Iowa.

In addition to Mr O’Rourke’s presence on Saturday, presidential candidates Amy Klobuchar and Cory Booker are also planning events. Kirsten Gillibrand and others are sending their campaign staff to canvass for him.

“It feels kind of normal, in a weird way,” Mr Giddens told the AP of his special visitors. “They’re just … they’re just people.”

Iowa, which holds its primary, or caucus, in January 2020, the first in the nationwide election cycle, is a crucial test for anyone seeking the presidency, as it the first time voters cast actual ballots on candidates.

It has been the making of many campaigns – Donald Trump ran a narrow second to Ted Cruz there in 2016 – while it has also been a graveyard for others. In the same cycle, Bernie Sanders’ campaign was boosted when he almost beat Hillary Clinton – she won 49.8-49.5 – while Martin O’Malley, a governor of Maryland whom many believed was an attractive candidate, dropped out to the race after winning barely 0.5 per cent of the vote.

Mr O’Rourke secured headlines around the world when he fought a hard race to dislodge Ted Cruz in the 2018 senate seat in Texas. While Mr Cruz held off the challenge, Mr O’Rourke’s charismatic campaigning and willingness to address even the most sensitive issues earned him praise from many.

A recent poll of potential candidates collated by Real Clear Politics put Mr O’Rourke in fifth place among the Democrats, some distance behind Joe Biden, Mr Sanders, Ms Harris and Ms Warren. But his numbers are likely to soar, if and when he declares he is running.

Most pundits believe Mr O’Rouke will be among the crowded field of Democrats looking for the nomination to take on Donald Trump.

“Sources close to O’Rourke say he is very likely to run. It makes sense to me. He might get the vice president nomination or a cabinet post out of it,” Larry Sabato, professor of politics at the University of Virginia, told The Independent.

“It’s more than 10 months to the start of Iowa. O’Rourke’s meandering trip means nothing. He’s a hot property, and whatever “it” is in politics, O’Rourke has “it”. That doesn’t mean he’ll win the nomination, but it does mean he’s going to bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the campaign—and large numbers of young people.”

Last month, Mr O’Rourke’s staff said he did not intend to challenge Republican John Cornyn for the senate seat in Texas, another indication he had his eyes on higher office.

In a statement at the time, in which he referred to his wife, he said: “Amy and I have made a decision about how we can best serve our country. We are excited to share it with everyone soon.”

To date, Mr O’Rourke’s campaign has been marked by its lack of orthodoxy. He has been driving across the country in a van, publishing Instagram images and posting podcasts. Many have found his approach refreshing and appealing.

At the same time, some have questioned whether he, as a white man, is receiving special indulgence to be so elastic and seemingly unpressured, in a way that a woman or a person of colour, would not.

The New York Times said female Democratic strategists had become increasingly frustrated as they watched watched Mr O’Rourke cycle, or read emotional road trip posts.

“Imagine, they say, if Beto were Betsy. What would the reception have been if a female candidate left her three small children home and spent several weeks travelling the country, posting stream-of-consciousness diary entries,” it said. “Or if she chose to forgo a Senate race that would provide a greater opportunity for victory?”

Christina Greer, professor of politics at New York’s Fordham University, said Mr O’Rourke’s behaviour was an example of “peak privilege”. “I am not interested in seeing you having your teeth cleaned,” she said, referring to a livestream the Texan conducted from his dentist’s chair. “I want to know how you’re going to bridge your formerly moderate politics with your new found progressive policies, because the progressive Beto is new.”

She added: “Can you imagine a woman being allow to drive around finding herself and leaving her three children at home?”