MJ Hegar Getting $1 Million Boost in Bid to Unseat U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas
- Wikimedia Commons / Jay Godwin
- MJ Hegar (right) speaks with audience members after a 2018 political forum.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said it will make a “seven-figure coordinated investment” in the campaign of MJ Hegar, the former Air Force helicopter pilot challenging three-term U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.
The contribution marks the DSCC’s first major investment in a general election in Texas, which hasn’t elected a Democrat to statewide office since 1994.
However, the committee’s decision appears bolstered by a late July poll it commissioned that puts Hegar almost neck-and-neck with her opponent.
In that survey, conducted by Global Strategy Group and Latino Decisions, Cornyn is at 43% and Hegar at 42% while 15% of voters remain undecided. The poll also found Hegar had room to grow her name recognition, the DSCC said.
Other recent polling hasn’t suggested a close contest, however. A Morning Consult survey unveiled Tuesday gave Cornyn a 6-point lead with likely voters, and a Quinnipiac University poll from last month put the GOP senator’s lead at 47% to 38%.
Even with the DSCC’s entry into the race, Cornyn also enjoys a considerable financial advantage. The incumbent had $14.5 million in cash at the end of the second quarter, compared to Hegar’s roughly $1 million, pre-DSCC.
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