Blacks not supporting Democrats in race against Cornyn
A Texas state senator will not back Democratic Senate candidate M.J. Hegar, saying she has a "problem" with African Americans, the Austin American-Statesman reported Friday.
"[Hegar has] had a problem all along with black folks, I mean realistically, a real problem," said state senator Royce West. "She has never reached out … I'm not voting for her; I'm not voting in that race."
West challenged Hegar during the Democratic primary and lost by a narrow margin during a July runoff election. Hegar had the support of prominent national Democrats, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), which some say may have been the deciding factor in the race.
In the final stretch of the primary, Hegar accused West, who vied to be the first black senator from Texas, of corruption and questioned his commitment to the Democratic Party.
Hegar's opponent, Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas), said Hegar's line of attack against West was offensive. "There's a reason why Royce West doesn't call up M.J. Hegar, because [of] the way she treated him during the primary," the senator said during a debate last week. "She basically suggested that the state senator, an African American, a successful lawyer, the only way he could attain that was to be corrupt. That's the way she treats people."
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Hegar is running as a liberal in a conservative state and has alienated a large part of the liberal base. I think Cornyn is comfortably ahead in the race.
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