Beto O'Rourke spoke with Rev. Al Sharpton, fueling 2020 speculation

U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-El Paso, spoke with the Rev. Al Sharpton on Friday, the latest step O’Rourke has taken in weighing a run for president in 2020, BuzzFeed News is reporting.

Sharpton spokeswoman Rachel Noerdlinger confirmed the telephone conversation to BuzzFeed and said the two would meet in the coming weeks.

Sharpton is an influential Democrat who hosts the annual National Action Network conference that draws numerous Democratic presidential hopefuls. The report follows news last week that O’Rourke met with former President Barack Obama in his Washington, D.C., office.

In the closing days of his failed U.S. Senate campaign, O’Rourke said he wouldn’t run for president in 2020, but has since walked backed that statement. Two recent polls placed him third among Democratic hopefuls. O’Rourke’s surprising 2.4-point loss to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in deep red Texas immediately catapulted him to presidential contender in the eyes of many national Democrats.

Read more: https://www.statesman.com/news/20181210/beto-orourke-spoke-with-rev-al-sharpton-fueling-2020-speculation