Beto O’Rourke Diagnosed With Bacterial Infection While Campaigning for Midterms

Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke said on Sunday that he’s been diagnosed with a bacterial infection in the midst of his campaign ahead of the midterm elections on Nov. 8.

O’Rourke, 49, confirmed the news in a statement on Twitter and said he planned to take a break from the campaign trail to recover.

“After feeling ill on Friday, I went to Methodist Hospital in San Antonio where I was diagnosed with a bacterial infection,” he wrote, while praising the “extraordinary team” at the hospital for his “excellent care and attention.”

“While my symptoms have improved, I will be resting at home in El Paso in accordance with the doctor’s recommendations,” he wrote.

The Democratic nominee for governor did not state when he would return to the campaign trail, which started in July. The news of O’Rourke’s illness came after he canceled a number of events last week, including in Lockhart, central Texas.

“I am sorry to have had to postpone events because of this, but promise to be back on the road with you as soon as I am able,” O’Rourke added.

O’Rourke was set to make appearances at Corpus Christi, Three Rivers, and Goliad this weekend for his 49-day “A Drive for Texas” campaign event but will reschedule those appearances after falling ill, his campaign staff told 3NEWS.

O’Rourke, who was born Robert Francis O’Rourke, previously ran for a Texas Senate seat but narrowly lost to incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.

Tight Race

He is challenging incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, in the November election in what is expected to be a close race.

Abbott was leading O’Rourke by seven points in a recent Dallas Morning News/University of Texas at Tyler poll (pdf).

O’Rourke has joked that he is “watching my swearing” at recent campaign stops after calling a heckler an expletive earlier in August. The incident came after the

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