When he was campaigning against Ted Cruz in 2018, Beto O’Rourke barnstormed across Texas in his Toyota Tundra, visiting all 254 counties and inspiring near-messianic fervor among Democrats. Spurning the advice of national political consultants, the El Paso congressman relied on small-dollar donations to power a proudly independent campaign. He maintained an unapologetically progressive platform while striking an upbeat, centrist tone, at one point embarking on a road trip with Republican Congressman Will Hurd. On Election Day, O’Rourke fell less than three points shy of beating Cruz—the closest any Democrat had come to winning a statewide race in two decades. A star was born. Six years later, Cruz had supported an attempted insurrection and fled to Cancún while his constituents shivered in the dark. He looked…