Cornyn slams potential opponents Hegar and West as trending toward ‘national democratic radicalism’

WASHINGTON — Texas Sen. John Cornyn fired his opening salvo against his two possible general election opponents after the Democratic primary for his U.S. Senate seat advanced to a runoff on Tuesday.

“They are trending toward the national democratic radicalism that is not something that Democrats in Texas are going to find attractive, much less independents and Republicans,” Cornyn said of state Sen. Royce West and Air Force veteran MJ Hegar during a Thursday afternoon phone call with reporters.

Hegar finished first and West second in the crowded Democratic primary race. Because no candidate had a majority of the vote on Tuesday, Hegar and West will be in a runoff on May 26 for the Democratic nomination.

Cornyn said he doesn’t have a preferred Democratic opponent in the general election in November.

But he singled out Hegar for criticism.

“It’s interesting to me that Sen. Schumer’s chosen candidate, MJ Hegar, couldn’t win the primary without a runoff,” Cornyn said, referring to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York

Cornyn pointed to the national support Hegar received from a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee endorsement and financial backing during the primary campaign.

On Thursday morning, Cornyn’s campaign emailed an article from right-wing news outlet The Washington Free Beacon that taunts Hegar for failing to secure a majority of the vote, despite securing national Democratic party backing.

Hegar’s campaign hit back against Cornyn’s criticism.

“As Senator Cornyn sits in DC being a political pundit, cozying up to his special interest funders, and holding up critical legislation to lower prescription drug prices and protect survivors of sexual assault — MJ Hegar is traveling across the state mobilizing hundreds of thousands of Texans to fire him come November,” Hegar campaign spokeswoman Amanda Sherman said in a statement.

West’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

In Tuesday’s Democratic primary, Hegar captured a little over 22% of the vote, ahead of West’s 14.5%, but well short of the 50% needed for an outright victory.

Hegar is ahead of West in fundraising.

West’s Feb. 12 cash balance was about $308,000, compared to Hegar’s $850,000. That was after Hegar outspent him, $3 million to $816,000.

The winner of the May runoff will face an uphill battle against Cornyn, a three-term incumbent. As of Feb. 12, Cornyn had slightly more than $12 million in campaign cash — more than 14 times as much as Hegar.