Former El Paso Congressman Beto O’Rourke is counting on the addition of Jen O’Malley Dillon — a highly regarded campaign strategist who worked with President Obama — to resuscitate his sagging presidential campaign, the Texas Tribune reports.
Almost every other candidate in the race had hoped to rope in O’Malley Dillon, according to the Tribune. However, only O’Rourke was the successful suitor. The veteran campaign wonk has since relocated her family to El Paso from Maryland to build O’Rourke’s national campaign infrastructure.
“Beto’s determination and ability to connect with people on the ground is unmatched, and that’s what it’ll take to assemble a coalition of voters, many who feel left behind by our current political system, to show up,” O’Malley Dillon said in a statement to the news site. “That’s how we beat Donald Trump and move this country forward.”
O’Malley Dillon worked on both of Obama’s presidential campaigns, and many politicos consider her expertise a major asset for whichever Democrat managed to pull her into their orbit.
O’Rourke raised a staggering $6.1 million in the 24 hours after he announced his presidential campaign in March. However, after a shaky performance in the first debate, the money has slowed considerably and he’s polling in the single digits.
Political experts told the Tribune that O’Rourke will need to come up with a viral moment to regain voters’ attention and allow O’Malley Dillon to built into a centerpiece for a robust campaign.
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This article appears in Jul 17-30, 2019.
