Beto O'Rourke tells Oprah he is 'thinking' about running in 2020, will decide by end of the month

In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, former Texas Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke said that he was still considering a presidential run and would make a final decision by the end of February.

What did he say?

"I have been thinking about running for president," O'Rourke responded after Oprah prompted him, confirming something that political pundits have speculated about ever since he first began his unsuccessful campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

He added "I've got to tell you, and you can tell, I'm so excited at the prospect of being able to play that role."

While O'Rourke lost the Senate race, his campaign gained him a national following.

O'Rourke said that before he made such an important decision, he wanted to make sure that his family "all go into this with eyes wide open." He is married with three young children. He mentioned that his oldest, 12-year-old Ulysses, who did not want him to run for president, was warming up to the idea.

"The good thing for those who want us to run is our oldest, Ulysses, who was most desperate that we never run for office ever again because of how long I have been gone, is about ready for me to leave the house," O'Rourke said.

When Winfrey asked him if he had given himself a deadline to decide one way or another, O'Rourke responded, "the serious answer is really soon, is really soon. Before the end of this month. Someone's asking for right now. This is before the end of this month, but there are many other days after this."

O'Rourke tried to turn the interview around and ask Oprah if she herself planned on running, but she dodged the question.

How many people are running?

It can be hard to keep track of who is already declared as a candidate for president and who has said that they're considering a run. To help with that, here's a current list.

Officially running: Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro, former Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.), Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), Andrew Yang, a businessman from New York, and Oprah's spiritual counselor Marianne Williamson.

Has an exploratory committee preparing for a potential run: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana.

Considering a run: This final list is ever changing, but O'Rourke and former Vice President Joe Biden are among those considered likely to jump into the fray. Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has said that he's considering running for president as an Independent candidate.