Air Force veteran Mary “MJ” Hegar led a crowded Democratic field to challenge U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, but will head to a runoff election in May after her nearest two competitors were locked in a tight fight for second place.
With most of Texas counties reporting, Hegar, a former helicopter rescue pilot, captured 25% of the votes cast in the Democratic primary. On May 26, she will face a runoff showdown as her two nearest challengers, State Sen. Royce West of Dallas and labor organizer Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez of Austin continued to fight for the second-place spot. By 10:30 p.m., Ramirez was in second place with 13%. West was in a close third place with 11% of the votes cast. The three top vote-getters were running against nine other candidates.
Hegar thanked supporters at a campaign watch party in Austin before turning her sights on Cornyn.
“Your time is done because you’ve sold us out,” Hegar said. “You’re fired. Pack it up buttercup because I’ m coming for your seat.”
West and Ramirez told supporters that the race was too close to call.
“I’m used to be underestimated,” Ramirez said at a watch party in Austin. “It’s still early.”
“We will issue a statement in the morning as final results become more clear,” West tweeted.
Hegar entered this year’s crowded Democratic primary race strong, fresh off a slim defeat in 2018 when she quickly rose from political newbie to nearly replacing 18-year incumbent U.S. Rep. John Carter in Texas’ 31st congressional district.
Last December, Hegar was endorsed by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, a move criticized as being premature because the decision seemed to ignore a more diverse candidate field. Ramirez has been endorsed by New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
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