EL PASO, TEXAS — Democrat Beto O’Rourke came close in his bid to unseat Republican Sen. Ted Cruz but lost Tuesday by a narrow 3-point margin. Even so, O’Rourke’s race proved candidates in the Lone Star State can run on a serious progressive platform and draw a substantial following.
Beto fans were devastated by the loss, but took heart in what he and his supporters were able to do. Texas — one of the nation’s worst voter turnout states — was...