Beto O’Rourke, the Texas Democrat who gained attention in 2018 for his tight defeat to Sen. Ted Cruz, announced on Monday that he is running for governor.

The former U.S. Congressman and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate announced his candidacy over a tweet alongside a video announcement.

O'Rourke's bid comes as Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has drawn national attention for his controversial abortion bill. In September, O'Rourke posted in a tweet that, "The Texas abortion law is an attempt to legalize harassment. It is as cowardly as it is unconstitutional."

O'Rourke has drawn attention in recent years for calling for gun licensing and a mandatory buyback program for assault weapons.

During his two-minute video speech, he said he wanted to run because current elected officials failed to support Texas when the state faced the largest power outages in U.S. history during a winter storm in February.

“[Texans] were abandoned by those who were elected to serve and look out for them,” he said. “It’s a symptom of a much larger problem that we have in Texas right now. Those in positions of public trust have stopped listening to, serving and paying attention to and trusting the people of Texas.”

O’Rourke, 49, is the most prominent Democrat to enter the state’s gubernatorial race. In 2018, he lost to Cruz but received 48.3% of the vote. Abbott, who will be seeking his third term, won the last two elections by landslides.

"Together, we can push past the small and divisive politics that we see in Texas today -- and get back to the big, bold vision that used to define Texas. A Texas big enough for all of us," O'Rourke said.

He added that Abbott has failed to focus on larger issues such as marijuana legalization, Medicaid expansion and school improvement.

The election is set for Nov. 8, 2022.

O'Rourke's gubernatorial bid drew heightened attention on social media.

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