Notes:  Sen. John Cornyn (R), first elected in 2002 and seeking a fourth term, defeated MJ Hegar (D), an Air Force veteran who was the Democratic nominee in TX-31 in 2018; rounding out the field were Kerry McKennon (L) and David Bruce Collins (G).

A crowded field of 12 candidates competed in the Mar. 3, 2020 Democratic primary.  The DSCC endorsed Hegar early, on Dec. 16, 2019.  Five candidates finished with 10-percent or more: M.J. Hegar 417,160 (22.31%), Royce West 274,074 (14.66%), Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez 246,659 (13.19%), Anna Mama Garcia 191,900 (10.27%) and Amanda K. Edwards 189,624 (10.14%).  In the July 14 runoff, Hegar defeated West by 502,516 votes (52.24%) to 459,457 (47.76%).  The Mar. 3 GOP primary was not competitive; Cornyn garnered 76.04% of the vote (1,470,699 of 1,934,047 votes) against four other candidates.

Cornyn, 68, previously served a term as Texas Attorney General and earlier served a term as an associate justice of the Texas Supreme Court and was a judge.  He chaired the NRSC in the 2012 cycle.  Hegar, 44, served in the U.S. Air Force including in Afghanistan, where the helicopter she was co-piloting was shot down.  In 2012, she was one of the lead plaintiffs in challenging the Combat Exclusion Policy.  In 2018 she came within 3 percentage points of defeating U.S. Rep. John Carter (R) in TX-31, north of Austin.

There was one debate; the two major party candidates met in person on Oct. 9 hosted by KXAN-TV (Nexstar Media Group) at the Bob Bullock Texas State Historic Museum in Austin (>). 

Texas is a conservative state; the last Democrat elected to statewide office in Texas was Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock in 1994.  Nevertheless state Democrats have long hoped for a breakthrough.  In the 2018 Senate contest, Rep. Beto O'Rourke lost to Sen. Ted Cruz by just 2.56 percentage points, and in 2020 the Biden campaign made a modest investment here (+). 

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the race was competitive financially.  The Cornyn campaign spent $36.4 million in the cycle, while the Hegar campaign spent $29.2 million; outside spending was roughly equal—$23.0 million on the Republican side and $22.7 million on the Democratic side (>).


Campaign Managers:
John Cornyn:  John Jackson
(Jan. 2019)  Campaign director on Texans for Greg Abbott, Dec. 2014-Jan. 2019.   Texas Victory Director/RNC, June 2013-Dec. 2014.  Director of special projects for the Republican Party of Texas, Aug. 2012-June 2013.  Campaign manager on Rick Berg for U.S. Senate (ND), Oct. 2011-June 2012.  Campaign manager on Tag Greason for Delegate (VA), Mar. 2009-April 2010.  Political director for David Dewhurst (TX), 2009-10.  Campaign manager on Dolores Gresham for State Senate (TN), April-Nov. 2008.  Political director on Sekula Gibbs for Congress (TX), Jan.-April 2008.  Field director on Nick Rerras for State Senate, 2007.  Southern field director on Van Taylor for Congress, 2006.  Political director on Tucker Anderson for Congress, 2006.  Studied at Texas A&M.

M.J. Hegar:  Preston Elliott
Campaign manager on California state Treasurer John Chiang's 2018 Democratic primary campaign for governor.  Deputy executive director at the DSCC in the 2016 cycle.  Campaign manager on Sen. Kay Hagan's 2013-14 re-election campaign.  Campaign manager on Sen. Jon Tester's 2012 re-election campaign.  Nevada Coordinated Campaign director in 2010, helping to re-elect Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.  Deputy political director at the DSCC in 2008.  Worked as a field director on Montana Democrats' Coordinated Campaign in 2006; former Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles' 2004 U.S. Senate race; Rep. Dick Gephardt's Iowa caucus campaign; Sen. Tim Johnson (SD)'s 2002 re-election campaign; and an Illinois legislative race in 2000.  Graduate of Lake Forest College.  Grew up in Billings, Montana.

still seeking M.J. Hegar lit.