A group urging former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-Texas, to run for president has snagged top political operatives from South Carolina and Nevada, important early-nominating states.
Boyd Brown, a former South Carolina state lawmaker who represented the Palmetto State on the Democratic National Committee, is set to join the “Draft Beto” campaign as a national senior adviser, according to Politico on Monday. Michael Soneff has also reportedly been recruited by the organization to act as Nevada state director. Soneff previously served as deputy chief of staff for Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan, D-Calif., before becoming a communications aide to the Nevada State Democratic Party.
The two hires come after South Carolina’s Post and Courier reported on Sunday that Tyler Jones had signed up to support the “Draft Beto” movement as South Carolina state director. Jones was a campaign consultant and spokesman for Rep. Joe Cunningham, D-S.C., who flipped Rep. Mark Sanford’s old seat blue in 2018.
The “Draft Beto” campaign launched last month to raise $1 million and lay the groundwork for a national network in case the failed Texas Senate candidate, who narrowly lost to incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in November, decides to mount a bid for the White House. The Democratic activists who started the group have agreed to hand over its social media accounts, email database, and volunteer list to an official O’Rourke campaign should the three-term congressman seek higher office, Politico reported at the time.
O’Rourke has emerged as a favorite in early polls, spurred by the national press coverage he received last year and his record-making fundraising effort ahead of the midterm elections. But despite reportedly meeting with former President Barack Obama to discuss his prospects, the 46-year-old has remained mum regarding his plans.
“Amy and I made a decision not to rule anything out,” O’Rourke said in 2018, referring to his wife. “The best advice I received from people who’ve run for, and won — and run for, and lost — elections like this is: Don’t make any decisions about anything until you’ve had some time to hang with your family and just be human. And so I am following that advice.”
