Beto O’Rourke stops campaigning after contracting an illness

The Democratic candidate for governor of Texas, Beto O’Rourke, said on Sunday that he will be taking a vacation from the campaign trail due to a bacterial illness.

O’Rourke wrote, “I went to Methodist Hospital in San Antonio after feeling sick on Friday, when I was diagnosed with a bacterial illness.

Despite the fact that my symptoms have subsided, I will continue to follow the physicians’ advice and take it easy at home in El Paso, said O’Rourke, 49.

When he would resume his campaigning, neither O’Rourke nor his team provided a date. O’Rourke postponed rallies this weekend in Lockhart, San Antonio, and other cities on his 49-day tour that began in July and included more than 70 stops throughout the state.

Beto O’Rourke, a Democratic contender for governor of Texas, addresses his supporters on August 24, 2022 in Humble, Texas. On November 8, O’Rourke will face off against Republican Governor Greg Abbott. BELTRAN BELL / Getty Pictures

It may be amusing to you, motherf*****, but it’s not funny to me, O’Rourke rebuked a heckler who laughed during a speech on the Uvalde school massacre earlier this month. The audience cheered, and the video quickly gained popularity.

In November, O’Rourke will face Greg Abbott, the two-term governor of Texas. According to a survey taken earlier this month, Abbott still has a 7-point advantage against O’Rourke. O’Rourke raised more money than Abbott in the latest quarter, but Abbott had a sizable war chest before the year began.

Since 1994, Texas has not had a Democrat win a statewide election.