Beto O’Rourke ‘Very Likely’ To Challenge Ted Cruz For Senate Seat – El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser Likely To Run For O’Rourke’s Seat

El Paso politics are about to get very interesting.

KTSM and the Texas Tribune are reporting that U. S. Representative Beto O'Rourke is "very likely" going to run for the seat in the U. S. Senate currently held by Ted Cruz. O'Rourke has already embarked on a tour around Texas over the last six weeks talking to residents, and he told the Tribune that he is "very encouraged." O'Rourke has just been sworn in for his third term representing El Paso in the U.S. House.

O'Rourke will likely make the run for Cruz's seat in 2018.

That would leave O'Rourke's seat vacant, and that is where current El Paso mayor, Oscar Leeser, comes in. NewsChannel 9 confirmed that Leeser says he will run for O'Rourke's vacant seat should O'Rourke run for Senate. Leeser had said last year that he would not run for another term as mayor of El Paso, and he battled health problems last year as well. Leeser spoke with KTSM Friday morning and he did confirm that he would run for O'Rourke's seat if he runs for Cruz's Senate seat in 2018.

The race for mayor of El Paso is also heating up. So far, City Rep. Emma Acosta, and businessman Dee Margo are among the current crop of mayoral hopefuls who have thrown their hat into the ring.

Ted Cruz was a candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States last year. While he did not get the nod by the GOP, he did use his time in Texas politics to springboard onto the national stage. Could Beto O'Rourke do the same? We'll have to keep on watching how far up the political ladder he will climb.