in mid-2005, o'rourke ran for the el paso city council on a platform of downtown development and border reform. o'rourke defeated two-term incumbent city councilman anthony cobos 57 percent to 43 percent. o'rourke is one of the youngest representatives ever to have served on the city council. in 2007, he won re-election to a second term, defeating trini acevedo 70 percent to 30 percent. during his first term, he supported a plan to convert a depressed area of el paso into a business district, including an arena, major retailers, and an arts walk. in january 2009, o'rourke sponsored a resolution calling for "comprehensive examination" of the war on drugs and "the repeal of ineffective marijuana laws".