Beto O'Rourke: “I am very honored to be here with my colleagues from California and from Maryland. I am especially honored that my…”

“I am very honored to be here with my colleagues from California and from Maryland. I am especially honored that my colleague from Maryland would invite me to say a few words today. He has been, truly, one of the real bright spots for me in my first session in Congress. To give you a little context and a little background on why that is the case, like my colleague from California, I had the privilege of serving on the city council in El Paso for two terms. I represented there a constituency of between 60,000 and 70,000 people, so about a tenth of the constituency that we represent here in Congress. To win those elections to be able to serve on the city council, like my good friend from California, I went door-to-door to meet my constituents--to meet those who were likely to vote in this election-- to make my case for why I might be the best alderman or council member to represent their interests on the city council. Then, by Election Day, after having spent maybe $40,000 or $50,000 total--a tenth of what you would have to spend in a very conservatively managed congressional race--we ended up having the good fortune to win and serve in the city council.…”