By JULIE PACE
AP Washington Bureau Chief

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke has hired one of the masterminds behind Barack Obama's unlikely 2008 primary victory.

Delegate guru Jeff Berman began working for O'Rourke in April as senior adviser for delegate strategy. Berman will oversee the campaign's efforts to navigate the complicated process of amassing enough delegates to secure the Democratic nomination.

Berman's work in a similar role is credited with helping catapult Obama past favorite Hillary Clinton during the 2008 race.

The move signals that O'Rourke is taking steps to professionalize his White House campaign. O'Rourke resisted similar efforts during the 2018 Texas Senate race that turned him into a national political star, eschewing pollsters, consultants and prepared speeches. O'Rourke ultimately lost that contest to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz by 2 percentage points.

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