Beto O'Rourke says he will likely choose female running mate if nominated

Speaking to NBC's Chuck Todd in Waterloo, Iowa, presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke addressed concerns about the Democratic Party not necessarily wanting to choose a white male as its 2020 nominee, and he acknowledged that the amount of popular media coverage he has received has been driven in part by his privilege.

"As a white man, who has had privileges that others could not depend on or take for granted, I've clearly had advantages over the course of my life. I think recognizing that and understanding that others have not, doing everything I can to ensure that there is opportunity and the possibility for advancement and advantage for everyone, is a big part of this campaign and a big part of the people who comprise this campaign. I think this is the best field that we've ever seen in a nominating process."

On Saturday night, O'Rourke said he "very likely would choose a female running mate if he manages to nab the Democratic presidential nomination next year," The Dallas Morning News' Todd Gillman reports from Dubuque, Iowa.

• "It would be very difficult not to select a woman with so many extraordinary women who are running right now," O'Rourke said. "But first I would have to win and there's — you know, this is as open as it has ever been."