Beto O'Rourke: 'There's A Lot Of Wisdom' In Scrapping Electoral College System

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STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (CBS/AP) — Former U.S. representative and presidential hopeful Beto O'Rourke says "there's a lot of wisdom" in scrapping the Electoral College system because it puts some states out of play in presidential elections. O'Rourke made the comments Tuesday after speaking to a college-campus crowd of hundreds in Pennsylvania, a late-voting state that may yet play a role in the crowded 2020 Democratic presidential primary contest.

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The Texan suggests that changing the Constitution to adopt a popular vote for president would ensure that every voter counts.

Democrat Hillary Clinton beat Republican Donald Trump by nearly 3 million popular votes in 2016, yet Trump won the Electoral College to capture the White House.

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O'Rourke also spoke about immigration and family separation at the border.

"Not only can we ensure that every single one of those separated families is reunited, we can rewrite our immigration laws in our own image, in the image of our communities, free more the 1 million Dreamers from any fear of deportation from the United States," said O'Rourke.

Also Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts reiterated her support for eliminating the Electoral College while on her Democratic presidential campaign swing through Selma, Alabama.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)