Who is Beto O'Rourke?

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Beto O’Rourke interrupts Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's news conference on Uvalde school shooting

Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke was escorted out of the room as Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin shouted at him to leave.

Texas Gov Gregg Abbott's press conference was interrupted on Wednesday by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke. Abbott was speaking about the shooting at Robb Elementary school in Uvalde, Texas when O'Rourke approached the stage.

O'Rourke's remarks were largely inaudible, he did pointedly tell Abbott, "You are doing nothing."

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick then told O'Rourke he was "out of line" and to "please leave the auditorium." Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin was heard shouting at O'Rourke that he was a "sick son of a b----" who came to the event to make a "political issue." O'Rourke was eventually escorted out of the auditorium. 

O'Rourke was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, according to his website, and has been a small business owner, a city council representative and a member of Congress. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2018 against incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz (R), and ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. In November 2019, however he announced that he was ending his presidential campaign. 

O'Rourke is currently slated to run against Abbott in the November election for governor of Texas.

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Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke disrupts a press conference held by Governor Greg Abbott the day after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, May 25, 2022. (REUTERS/Veronica G. Cardenas)

During the press conference, Abbott confirmed that 18-year-old gunman Salvador Ramos did shoot his grandmother before going to Robb Elementary school, leaving the woman seriously injured. Abbott also confirmed that there Ramos made three posts on Facebook in the hours leading up to the shooting.

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Ramos took the lives of at least 19 children and two teachers in the deadliest school shooting since Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut in 2012.