“I’m not interested in any national politician — anyone outside of Texas — coming into this state to help decide the outcome of this,” O’Rourke said on Friday, according to The Dallas Morning News.

“I think we all want to make sure that we’re working with, listening to and voting with one another here in Texas,” he said.

He added that the recent decisions by Congress and the Supreme Court on abortion and voting rights had shown him that Texas Democrats should take the issues into their own hands. 

O’Rourke reportedly made the comments during an Austin news conference in which he said his campaign would connect with 2 million voters in February to teach them about the new voting laws.

The controversial laws have led to hundreds of rejected mail-in ballots in recent weeks, according to the newspaper. 

O'Rourke, a former U.S. congressman from Texas who ran unsuccessfully for the Senate and White House, announced his challenge to Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in November.

He has touted himself as a unity candidate and railed against “fringe policies and incompetence that we see in Texas today.”

“I am running for governor to serve ALL of the people of Texas,” he added in his campaign announcement. “I believe that the only way we are going to achieve great things for this state is by looking out for each other and moving forward together.”