ELECTIONS ’20

Cornyn draws another challenger in Senate race
Third Democrat to enter ring is Houston City Council member
By TODD J. GILLMAN
Washington Bureau
tgillman@dallasnews.com

WASHINGTON — Another Democrat jumped into the fray in hopes of ousting Sen. John Cornyn. Houston council member Amanda Edwards announced her bid with an early morning video Thursday.

She joins MJ Hegar, a former Air Force helicopter pilot who fell just short of toppling veteran congressman John Carter in a district that includes Fort Hood. Chris Bell, a former congressman, announced a bid two weeks ago.

Edwards is unknown around most of the state.

Two hours after tweeting the announcement, her campaign account had just 275 followers on Twitter and even the account she uses for official councilwoman business had just 4,618 followers.

Cornyn quickly moved to fill in the blanks.

“Councilwoman Edwards is a true progressive with a record that would make Elizabeth Warren jealous,” said campaign manager John Jackson. “We look forward to seeing which two liberals make the inevitable runoff.”

The Edwards campaign described her as “an accomplished attorney ... a native Texan, a millennial and a fierce advocate for her community.”

Republicans spun the growth in the Democratic field as a sign not that Cornyn is in trouble but that Democrats are fractured and unenthused about Hegar, the best known candidate so far. State Sen. Royce West of Dallas is expected to jump in later this month.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the party’s Senate campaign arm, which Cornyn himself led for four years before ascending to the No. 2 post in the Senate as majority whip, has taunted Hegar for failing to excite its counterpart, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

“Everyone knows there is no telling Texans what to do — except apparently national Democrats who decided to rally behind a failed House candidate as their chosen one before other Texas Democrats even had a chance to consider their candidacy,” said NRSC press secretary Joanna Rodriguez. “Bless their hearts.”

Republicans have watched with some alarm as Texas has turned into a battleground. The low point for them — and high point for Democrats since they last won a statewide race in 1994 — came last fall when Beto O’Rourke held Sen. Ted Cruz below 51%, falling short by just 2.6% and collecting more votes than any Democrat on a Texas ballot ever, including presidential nominees.

Cornyn is less of a lightning rod than Cruz, but he also doesn’t excite conservatives and grassroots activists the way his junior colleague does, which could make him vulnerable.

A major independent handicapper recently shifted the assessment of Texas in the Democrats’ favor, moving his rating from “solid Republican” to “likely Republican” — a downgrade for Cornyn that he has used to warn supporters against complacency and to drum up donations.

Bell, 59, himself a former Houston City Council member, formed an exploratory committee two weeks ago and suggested that he’s definitely running, too.

He won a U.S. House seat in 2002 but lost the 2004 primary to Rep. Al Green, who has been pushing to impeach President Donald Trump. As the party’s 2006 nominee for governor, Bell lost to incumbent Rick Perry, now Trump’s energy secretary, in a race that included independent candidates Carole Keeton Strayhorn and Kinky Friedman. He later lost elections for Houston mayor and state Senate.

Texas Democratic Party chairman Gilberto Hinojosa issued a particularly glowing statement welcoming Edwards to the race.

“Edwards represents the future of Texas. As a transformative, results-oriented leader, she is blazing a trail for young Texans, women of color and Texans who have felt locked out of their government,” he said, calling her “a community builder, forward thinker and innovator” and “a champion for the city of Houston.”

Hinojosa also heaped praise on Hegar when she announced her candidates in late April: “A fighter pilot, decorated veteran, and advocate for millions, MJ Hegar is an American hero. ... When people tell MJ no, she busts through the doors and fights for those left behind. Her entire adult life has been about service to her country.”

Twitter: @toddgillman