Inability to end spat with rival Royce West threatens MJ Hegar’s ability to rally Black voters

MJ Hegar is still learning how to maneuver the minefields in Texas Democratic Party politics.

The decorated Air Force veteran is running as an anti-politician, a leader with a soldier’s mentality to completing missions and achieving goals, whether it’s astutely managing the coronavirus pandemic or providing affordable health care for all Americans.

At Friday night’s Senate debate at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin that I co-moderated, Hegar found out how tricky it can be to build coalitions outside her natural political base.

Her biggest snafu is her unwillingness to reach out to state Sen. Royce West of Dallas for a conversation about unifying to beat Cornyn.

The Round Rock Democrat beat West by 30,000 votes out of about one million votes cast in the Democratic Senate runoff. The race got testy at the end.

During the debate, I asked Hegar why she hadn’t called West for his support.

“Personal endorsements tend to come with quid pro quo that I believe are a big part of what’s broken in politics,” she said, adding “I believe Senator West is supporting me, because I know that we’re on the same page and we share so many of the same values, and I have really been blown away and inspired by the support of the grassroots momentum across the state, including in Black and brown communities across the state, who know that they are not being served by our current leadership.”

But in a move that stunned some inside the Texas Democratic Party, West announced Friday, through the Austin American-Statesman’s Jonathan Tilove, that he’s not voting for Hegar or Cornyn.

That’s an extraordinary move for one of the top Democratic leaders in the Texas Senate and a die-hard Democrat who for decades has been in the fight to turn Texas blue.

Some will see West’s move as petty and too personal, especially when all hands are needed to beat Cornyn.

But West doesn’t think Hegar cares about outreach to Black voters, telling me Saturday that her assumption that he’s voting for her without asking for his support is tantamount to taking the Black vote for granted.

Whether he’s right or wrong is irrelevant now. With weeks before the election and early voting starting Tuesday, social media sites are buzzing with Black voters debating whether to follow West’s lead, or back Hegar in order to oust Cornyn.

It’s bad timing for Hegar. She needs a strong Black turnout in her favor, particularly since candidates won’t be able to rely on getting a tally that results from straight-ticket voting. That practice, which allows voters to cast ballots along party lines for the entire ticket with one vote, won’t be available for this election.

That means voters will have to make a clear decision to vote for Hegar, who will be at the top of the ballot behind the presidential race featuring Republican incumbent Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic Party’s nominee.

The good news for Hegar is that West is not actively campaigning against her, so concerns about their strained relationship could fade. Still, it’s one of the nagging political situations that could flare up again.

That West has soured on Hegar is not surprising. He felt disrespected by his rival throughout the campaign, particularly when she blasted him for being a wealthy politician that would not be a good fit in the Senate. The fiercest exchange came during a televised, June debate on KVUE-TV Austin. West questioned Hegar’s Democratic Party credentials because she had once donated money to and voted for Republicans.

Hegar struck back.

“We have corruption; we have money in politics; we have politicians, frankly like you, Royce, who become millionaires in office and have spent their time legislating in their own best interest instead of the interests of their constituents,” Hegar said. “I’m done with it. I’m tired of it. And so is Texas.”

West retorted:” I’m from the projects of Dallas, and if you’re taking a shot at me because I’m a successful lawyer, basically providing job opportunities for people in my community, then take that shot. I have no problems with that.”

The two have had few words since.

West thinks Hegar prefers staying in her comfort zone with white and suburban voters, with some outreach to Hispanic residents.

Hegar sees it a differently. Her policy positions on everything from health care, economic justice and ending systemic racism is in line with what most moderate Democrats support. She says her ideas will help all Texans, including Black and Hispanic residents.

Though minority voters are critical voting blocs for Democrats, Hegar is most popular with suburban voters, including women. The former combat helicopter pilot is also reaching out to disaffected Republicans turned off by Donald Trump. Many of those voters identify with her personal story. She’s a mother, wife and businesswoman with a history of voting for Republicans.

She grew up in Republican red Williamson County. And last week Hegar revealed to Hearst Newspapers that she voted against Barack Obama in his 2008 and 2012 presidential bids. In a twist, Obama has backed Hegar against Cornyn in the November 3 election.

Hegar has said that after 2012 she realized that women like her had more in common with Democrats than Republicans. She has also warned Democrats not to shame former Republicans and others that voted for Trump in 2016 and regret it.

In the primary, where West and former Houston council member Amanda Edwards commanded the Black vote, Hegar struggled with minority voters. But her poll numbers with those groups have dramatically improved in the general election, most likely due to her party affiliation and Cornyn’s embrace of Trump, which adds to his unpopularity with most Black and Hispanic voters.

For starters, Hegar will need a united Democratic front to defeat Cornyn.

All the drama with West could have been avoided, perhaps, with one well-timed phone call. And what Hegar won’t reveal is whether she grew tired of West’s assertions against her during the campaign, or didn’t feel like he would be helping in helping her build the coalition she needs to win.

Polls show Hegar in striking distance of Cornyn, so she has a chance.

Dissing West is probably not helpful.