A former bandmate of At the Drive-In / The Mars Volta vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala is looking to take Ted Cruz’s senate seat away from him. Not through some sort of revolutionary upheaval, but in the 2018 elections.

Robert Frances “Beto” O’Rourke is a member of the United States Congress, representing the 16th district of Texas in his native El Paso. Before diving into politics, O’Rourke was an aspiring punk musician, playing guitar and singing in the band Foss with Bixler-Zavala, who took on the role of vocalist and drummer. Foss released a couple of albums before breaking up in the mid-‘90s.

“I wasn’t very good at it,” O’Rourke told The Washington Post in February. “[My father] won’t say it, but the expectation is: We didn’t take out loans for you to go to Columbia and then [play] in a punk band your whole life.”

“O’Rourke will have a tough road ahead of him, as Texas is a heavily Republican state and Beto is running as a Democrat. Though he’s considered a long-shot candidate, O’Rourke is ready for the stretch ahead, promising to "fight when necessary against a president who is focused on building walls, or conducting military immigrant round-ups."

Ted Cruz’s backers recently sent out an email, stating O’Rourke is out of touch with Texas values. "Beto O'Rourke will have the full support of the mainstream media and a Washington establishment willing to do everything in their power to see Ted Cruz defeated," the email said. [via Reuters]

Check out O’Rourke announcing his candidacy for the United States Senate in the clip above! At the Drive-In just released a video for "Hostage Stamps" earlier today.

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