Primary for Cornyn's Senate Challenger

JuanValdez · Feb 19, 2020

We spend a lot of time on Trump and the primary to determine Trump's opponent, but we have another important decision in the March 3 primary I don't want to neglect: who is going to challenge John Cornyn?

I heard a bit of their debate yesterday, and honestly I can't say I was terribly impressed with the gravitas of the candidates. But, gotta pick one of them. Here is an article about the debate: https://www.texastribune.org/2020/0...-primary-us-senate-debate-2020-super-tuesday/

Here's the landscape:

Progressives:

Annie "Mama" Garcia (lawyer)

Tzinztun Ramirez (SJW)

Sema Hernandez (lost to Beto for 2018 senate race)

Moderates:

Chris Bell (former Rep)

Royce West (Texas Senate)

MJ Hegar (outperformed but lost for Rep in 2018)

Amanda Edwards (Houston City Council, Aldine represent!)

Also rans

Michael Cooper

Adrian Ocegueda

Jack Foster

Victor Harris

Ballotpedia: https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Texas,_2020_(March_3_Democratic_primary)

Who ya got?

RayRay10 · Feb 19, 2020

I like that Edwards is focused on expanding business here in Texas which I think would resonate with some voters. She's got my vote when I go on Friday...

However, I expect Hegar to win. She's sort of got that Beto bump from 2018 and she's a military vet. Feels like she can make some noise against Cornyn in what will likely end up getting down and into the mud.

pirc1 · Feb 19, 2020

Do they have a shot at all?

B-Bob · Feb 19, 2020

pirc1 said: ↑

Do they have a shot at all?
Click to expand...

no

pgabriel · Feb 19, 2020

My Amanda Edwards story. Start at the front and jump to the end

http://bbs.clutchfans.net/index.php?threads/is-this-stalker-behavior.188164/page-3#post-11036621

ROXTXIA · Feb 19, 2020

RayRay10 said: ↑

I like that Edwards is focused on expanding business here in Texas which I think would resonate with some voters. She's got my vote when I go on Friday...

However, I expect Hegar to win. She's sort of got that Beto bump from 2018 and she's a military vet. Feels like she can make some noise against Cornyn in what will likely end up getting down and into the mud.
Click to expand...

Plus she has tats ("a", not "i"; well, those, too) and rides a motorcycle looking like a female Terminator in her ads!

pirc1 · Feb 19, 2020

B-Bob said: ↑

no
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Just as I thought.

Roxfreak724 · Feb 19, 2020

Voting for Ramirez as she seems most in line with Bernie. But I don't think it matters, looks like Hegar will win. Either way gotta get Cornyn out if possible, but I don't think it will happen.

RayRay10 · Feb 19, 2020

ROXTXIA said: ↑

Plus she has tats ("a", not "i"; well, those, too) and rides a motorcycle looking like a female Terminator in her ads!
Click to expand...

Newlin · Feb 19, 2020

Yes, those Hagar ads looks like a republican ad. Texas tough and all that.

ROXTXIA · Feb 19, 2020

Newlin said: ↑

Yes, those Hagar ads looks like a republican ad. Texas tough and all that.
Click to expand...

My (Brazilian-born) wife said that. I told her, "It's Texas. Even Beto lost to pond scum like Ted Cruz. So, you gotta go full Terminator on a bike."

JuanValdez · Feb 19, 2020

Roxfreak724 said: ↑

Voting for Ramirez as she seems most in line with Bernie. But I don't think it matters, looks like Hegar will win. Either way gotta get Cornyn out if possible, but I don't think it will happen.
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I'm probably voting for Sanders, but I think I'm probably taking the opposite strategy for the Texas Senator. A Democrat is a long-shot regardless, and a progressive one may as well stay in bed. I like Amanda Edwards, but Hegar is probably the one with the best shot at Cornyn.

Roxfreak724 · Feb 19, 2020

JuanValdez said: ↑

I'm probably voting for Sanders, but I think I'm probably taking the opposite strategy for the Texas Senator. A Democrat is a long-shot regardless, and a progressive one may as well stay in bed. I like Amanda Edwards, but Hegar is probably the one with the best shot at Cornyn.
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Ya you're right, Hegar has a much better shot. But she'll probably win the primary either way so I'll just send a vote in for Ramirez

RayRay10 · Jun 2, 2020

Interesting...hadn't heard much, but with the Primary now next month, here's some details. Last I saw, Hegar was heavily favored.

https://www.texastribune.org/2020/05/13/texas-democrat-senate-runoff/

Cascade of endorsements animates Texas' Democratic U.S. Senate runoff, which coronavirus has upended
A steady stream of endorsements has been illuminating some of the battle lines between MJ Hegar and Royce West as they vie to take on U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

From the beginning, West has put an emphasis on endorsements, touting since his announcement speech last summer, for example, that he has the support of most of his Democratic colleagues in the Legislature. Hegar, who entered politics in 2018 with her campaign against U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, has had far fewer relationships to lean on, though she does possess arguably the most important nod in the race thus far: that of the powerful Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

With the DSCC's backing, Hegar finished first in the 12-way March primary ahead of West. She remains the top Democratic fundraiser, ending the latest fundraising period — which went through March 31 — with $1.1 million cash on hand to West's $121,000.

During a virtual town hall Friday, West said he will "absolutely" have the money to compete going forward.
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More immediately, though, Hegar and West are forging through a runoff that has gone entirely virtual — not to mention postponed to July 14 — due to the coronavirus pandemic. That has left a little more room in the spotlight than usual for endorsements and the political meaning they carry.

Since the primary, Hegar has consolidated support from national abortion rights organizations, earning the support of EMILY's List, Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America. She has also picked up the backing of the Brady PAC — the second national gun-control group to endorse her since the primary began — and more recently announced the endorsement from Escobar, the rising-star El Paso congresswoman who was elected to replace Beto O'Rourke in the House two years ago.

In other noteworthy nods, Hegar benefitted from an early May fundraising email written by fellow veteran Pete Buttigieg, the former 2020 presidential candidate and South Bend, Indiana, mayor.

As for West's runoff endorsements, he has been most notably backed by five former primary opponents, including the close third-place finisher, Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, who had run as one of the most progressive candidates in the primary. Her support, along with a more recent endorsement from the national liberal group Democracy for America, has given West the opportunity to expand his progressive credentials as Hegar continues to stay on a relatively moderate path to the general election.

West has also rolled out endorsements highlighting the potential for him to be the first black U.S. senator from Texas, including from Carol Moseley Braun, the first black woman to serve in the Senate, as well as the Congressional Black Caucus PAC.

Labor groups have been a bit more mixed in the runoff, though West has had the overall advantage. The Texas AFL-CIO and United Steelworkers are supporting both candidates, while West alone has been backed by the Texas American Federation of Teachers and Communications Workers of America, which previously supported Tzintzún Ramirez.

"He’s not just having to learn us, he’s not just having to get to know who we are," Texas AFT's president, Zeph Capo, said in announcing the union's West endorsement.
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The slow-simmering tension over endorsements has been noted by the Cornyn campaign, which continues to offer commentary on the Democratic slog to determine his November opponent.

"This isn’t complicated — the Texas Democrat establishment supports Restful Royce because he will be back in the state Senate soon and they don’t want to offend him," Cornyn campaign spokeswoman Krista Piferrer said in a statement. "Considering Hollywood Hegar endorsed Elizabeth Warren for president, it is no wonder every liberal group from California to DC support her candidacy; they know Hegar is one of them."
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Edit...right after this article, Elizabeth Warren endorsed Hegar:
https://www.kvue.com/article/news/p...ment/269-f8455864-fe4a-43ee-bc18-4cec9e47df3e

RayRay10 · Jun 2, 2020

And the only debate between Hegar and West is (edit) Saturday, Jan 6th at 7pm

https://www.texasdemocrats.org/medi...ry-runoff-during-texas-democratic-convention/

For a list of stations airing the debate, please see below:

Station Network Market Station Website Social
KRBC-TV NBC Abilene www.bigcountryhomepage.com @KRBCnews
KAMR-TV NBC Amarillo www.myhighplains.com @KAMRLocal4News
KXAN-TV NBC Austin www.kxan.com @KXAN_News
KVEO-TV NBC Brownsville www.kveo.com @kveotv23
KDAF-TV CW Dallas www.cw33.com @CW33
KTSM-TV NBC El Paso www.ktsm.com @KTSMtv
KIAH-TV CW Houston www.cw39.com @CW39Houston
KLBK-TV CBS Lubbock www.everythinglubbock.com @KLBKNews
KMID-TV ABC Midland/Odessa www.yourbasin.com @Local2NewsKMID
KSAN-TV NBC San Angelo www.conchovalleyhomepage.com @ksannews
KSAT-TV ABC San Antonio www.ksat.com @ksatnews
KTAL-TV NBC Shreveport www.arklatexhomepage.com @NBC6News
KETK-TV NBC Tyler www.easttexasmatters.com @KETK
KWKT-TV FOX Waco www.fox44news.com @KWKTFOX44
KFDX-TV NBC Wichita Falls www.texomashomepage.com @TexomasHomepage

Note: In addition to the live television broadcast, viewers may also access a livestream of the debate by visiting their local participating Nexstar station’s website.

RayRay10 · Jun 27, 2020

Reminder: early voting starts this week:

https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2020/texas-runoff-election-ballot/

RayRay10 · Jul 14, 2020

Today's election day for those that didn't early vote:

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/po...Headlines&utm_term=news&utm_content=headlines

More than 1 million Texans cast a ballot between June 29 and July 10, including more than 652,000 Democrats and more than 411,000 Republicans, according to data from the Secretary of State’s office.

With only early votes in, the election is set to surpass overall turnout in 2012 — the last time more than 1 million voters cast ballots in a runoff — when former Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz were on the GOP primary ballot.
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Already on the Democratic side, more votes have been cast than in the 2018 runoffs, including Election Day, and the 2006, 2008 and 2012 runoffs, according to Texas Election Source's analysis of Texas State Historical Association data. The party is also on track to beat its highest runoff turnout in the past 20 years — the record is 747,000 in 1994.
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KingCheetah · Jul 15, 2020

Is MJ a member of the Bandidos -- is that her one-percenter nickname?

RayRay10 · Jul 15, 2020

I still haven't voted for her, but Hegar will be Cornyn's challenger in November. I'll vote for her then.

Runoff was closer than expected...looks like there was almost 1M votes cast.

Anyway, https://mjfortexas.com/

Oh, and the good thing, in District 22, Kathaleen Wall got mudhole stomped. She ran on a super-Trumpy platform, spent a ton of money while Troy Nehls had no money to spend on ads, and she only garnered 30% of the vote. This was also after she spent $800K on a house in Sugarland just to have a residence in the district; she never inhabited the house.

RayRay10 · Jul 15, 2020

KingCheetah said: ↑

Is MJ a member of the Bandidos -- is that her one-percenter nickname?
Click to expand...

Forums

Primary for Cornyn's Senate Challenger

Who do you want for the Democratic candidate for the Senate race against Cornyn?

Chris Bell

Amanda Edwards

Annie Garcia

MJ Hegar

Sema Hernandez

Tzintzun Ramirez

Royce West

Some other bum...

JuanValdez Contributing Member

RayRay10 Houstonian

pirc1 Contributing Member

B-Bob "94-year-old self-described dreamer"

pgabriel Educated Negro

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Newlin Member

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