O’Rourke has received invitations to speak to Democratic groups in early presidential states like Iowa and New Hampshire, but has yet to accept them, according to a former senior adviser to his campaign.

“We’ve had a lot of former Obama alumni saying: ‘If we can be helpful as you think about this, let us know. If you want our perspective on what it’s like to run a national campaign, let us know,'” said the former O’Rourke aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

And a new group, co-founded by a former Obama field organizer, has sprung up to attempt to draft O’Rourke into the presidential race. “Beto has a special ability — like President Obama did — to make people believe in the best version of America,” said Lauren Pardi, who worked on Obama’s campaign in New Hampshire.