Beto O'Rourke Reveals He's on the Mend After Being Hospitalized with a Bacterial Infection

Beto O'Rourke
Beto O'Rourke
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SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Beto O'Rourke

Beto O'Rourke is taking a pause from his ongoing campaign after being diagnosed with a "bacterial infection."

The Texas Democrat, 49 — who is currently running for governor of the state — announced in a statement on Twitter Sunday that he fell ill on Friday and later received his diagnosis and treatment at the Methodist Hospital in San Antonio.

Detailing in a follow-up tweet that his "symptoms have improved," O'Rourke continued, "I will be resting at home in El Paso in accordance with the doctors' recommendations."

He then expressed his apologies for having to miss campaigning events, adding, "[I] promise to be back on the road as soon as I am able."

O'Rourke also thanked the staff at Methodist Hospital for the care he received at their facility. "The extraordinary team there — from custodians to nurses and doctors — gave me excellent care and attention, including IV antibiotics and rest," the politician said.

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O'Rourke is currently aiming to beat Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican seeking re-election, in the upcoming November 2022 midterm elections.

Abbott, 64, maintained a seven-point lead over O'Rourke in a poll from earlier this month that was orchestrated by the University of Texas at Tyler's Dallas Morning News.

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Scott Eisen/Getty, Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo Beto O'Rourke (left), Greg Abbott

Taken during the first week of August, the poll surveyed 1,384 registered voters — where 33 percent reported being Democrats, 40 percent reported being Republics and 27 percent said they belonged to neither party.

In the poll, Abott received a large range of support from fellow Republicans in the state, as more than three-quarters said they "approve" or "strongly approve" of his leadership, compared to 22 percent of Democrats.

Eighty-five percent of Republicans said they would vote for Abbott in the race for governor, while 81 percent of Democrats say they'd vote for O'Rourke. Meanwhile, 12 percent of Democrats reported they would cross party lines to support Abbott, while only eight percent of Republicans said they would do the same for O'Rourke.