Potential 2020 presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke met with Reverend Al Sharpton, a move many consider to be a hint at his possible plans.
O’Rourke and Sharpton met on Friday, reports BuzzFeed News. Sharpton spokesperson Rachel Noerdlinger confirmed the meeting happened but would not discuss its topics.
“They spoke and agreed to meet within the next couple of weeks, and they had a great conversation,” she said.
O’Rourke has been subjected to buzz since he lost his Senate race in Texas to incumbent Republican Ted Cruz by a slim margin. His meeting with Sharpton would net him a useful ally should he decide to run for president. The reverend's National Action Network convention has been a launching pad for presidential candidates in the past, including then-Senator Barack Obama in 2007.
Speaking of the former president, O’Rourke met with Obama on November 16, ten days after Election Day, according to The Washington Post.
Like the Sharpton meeting, the reason for the Obama meeting is shrouded in secrecy.
O’Rourke initially said he wouldn’t run for president but changed his tune in late November, according to Politico.
“Running for Senate, I was 100 percent focused on our campaign, winning that race and then serving the next six years in the United States Senate,” he said. “Now that that is no longer possible, you know, we’re thinking through a number of things.”
The former POTUS also recently met with Andrew Gillum, who narrowly lost his gubernatorial race in Florida, as Blavity reported.
Like O'Rouke, Gillum has been mentioned as a possible Democratic presidential candidate for 2020. According to a separate Politico report, Obama has been quietly meeting with potential 2020 contenders, including his vice president, Joe Biden, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Bernie Sanders.
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