Beto O'Rourke Cites Minor Threat and Fugazi's Ian MacKaye as Key Influence

Beto O'Rourke announced today (March 14th) that he'll be running for president in 2020, and a new Vanity Fair profile on the former House Representative from Texas sheds light on the politician's influences, including one that should perk the interest of heavy-music fans: Minor Threat/Fugazi founder and prolific Dischord Records owner/producer Ian MacKaye.

"I have so much reverence for him and he means so much to me in my life," O'Rourke told the magazine of MacKaye, who takes a famously ethical approach to business and art. The candidate goes on to cite not only MacKaye's DIY method of conducting himself as a musician and label owner, but also his way "of just living." The author of the profile goes on to describe MacKaye's own views on the "punk ethos," which he claims is a way of life for folks struggling with making space for themselves in everyday society, explaining, "I think in many ways they're the right people."

This isn't the first time O'Rourke's passion for heavy music has emerged. He was recently spotted at a sold-out Metallica show in El Paso, Texas, where he posed with fans for photographs, and his own musical past in the same city's punk scene came to light last year during his Senate run against Republican incumbant Ted Cruz. At the time, O'Rourke addressed GOP backlash to his heavy rock inclinations by sharing a single titled "Rise" by his former band, the El Paso Pussycats, via Rolling Stone. Watch below to see O'Rourke's official announcement of his run for the presidency.