Who Is Beto O'Rourke's Wife? New Details On Amy Hoover Sanders
They met on a blind date.
instagram American politics is always a whirlwind. During midterm elections, Beto O'Rourke, a four-term Democratic Congressman, lost by a slim margin to Ted Cruz, a Senator from Texas.
Once O’Rourke’s campaign posted a video of him defending players kneeling during the National Anthem and talking about institutionalized racism in our country, the video went viral, and people wondered if he had a chance at defeating Cruz.
Though things didn't go according to plan and Cruz ended up keeping his seat in the Senate, he has a new campaign. That's right, Beto O'Rourke is running for president! He and his wife announced his decision to run for president in 2020 in an inspirational video:
But behind every politician is their spouse, rooting for them and supporting their success. And such is the case for this presidential hopeful. Just who is Beto O’Rourke’s wife, and what is their life like? Here are seven things to know about Amy Hoover Sanders.
1. Her family is incredibly influential in El Paso, Texas.
Her father, William Sanders, is a real estate mogul and author and founded a company called Security Capital, one of the most successful real estate investment trust businesses in the country. He recently sold it to GE for more than $2 billion!
Sanders’ maternal grandfather, Richard Harlan Feuille, was also an accomplished veteran, who received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart after serving in WWII.
2. She’s very involved in education.
Sanders is the director of education development for La Fe Community Development Corporation, the executive director of the La Fe Preparatory charter school, and has an extensive history in teaching. She even taught kindergarten in Guatemala and worked with the nonprofit, Centro de Salu Familiar La Fe, in El Paso for many years.
3. She runs a technology company that she and O’Rourke founded in 1999.
In 1999, she and her husband co-founded Stanton Street Technology, which is an an Internet services company that develops websites and software. She took over as president and owner from 2013 to 2017, leaving the company to help her husband on the campaign trail.
4. She’s the one who encouraged him to run for the Senate seat.
While she was initially reluctant for her husband to run for Congress, with Texas Monthly reporting that she began crying and felt hurt by the idea itself, she eventually came around to the idea.
And once Trump was elected, she told O’Rourke, “I think you should go see if you can’t do something that’s more effective than what you’re doing now.” According to him, the Senate race was the “first one where I felt like we both made the decision together.”
5. They met on a blind date.
While both of them grew up in El Paso, they met on a blind date back in 2004. Their first date was at the Kentucky Club, right across the Mexican border, that claims to have invented the first ever margarita.
According to O’Rourke, as they were leaving the restaurant, a television crew asked them to kiss on camera for a commercial they were filming, to which O’Rourke replied, “Es mi hermana,” meaning “She’s my sister.” Talk about a gentleman, not pressuring his date to kiss!
6. They have a nine-year age difference.
O’Rourke is 46 while Sanders is 37, but don’t think that makes things difficult. In fact, the couple fell so deeply for each other that they were married only 10 months after meeting! Those margaritas must have been amazing.
7. They have three kids.
What’s a family without children to fill your home with laughter? The couple has two sons, Ulysses, 11, and Henry, 7, as well as a daughter, Molly, 10.
Samantha Maffucci is an associate editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.