Apr 23, 2019
MJ Hegar speaks to voters in 2018 in Georgetown, Texas. Photo: Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP/Getty Images
Former U.S. Air Force helicopter pilot M.J. Hegar, who narrowly lost a high-profile House race in 2018, launched a Senate campaign against incumbent John Cornyn (R-Texas) on Tuesday morning.
Why it matters: Beto O'Rourke's long-shot Senate challenge against Ted Cruz last year garnered national attention and raised the possibility that Texas could be in play in 2020, especially with demographics shifting in Democrats' favor. Hegar, whose campaign video "Doors" went viral during the midterms, is the first Democrat to announce a run against Cornyn, though the field is expected to fill up.