Several Texas Democrats are lining up to challenge Cornyn in the Senate

By: David Wilfong, NDG Contributing Writer

The political season is back in full swing, and once again Texas will be deciding on who to send to the U.S. Senate. For Democrats, this comes on the heels of a disappointing defeat of Beto O’Rourke in the last senatorial race. But Democrats are lining up to challenge Republican incumbent John Cornyn in the general election. In total, there are 12 people vying for the nomination.

Five of them were in Dallas on Monday night, as the Dallas Examiner is hosting another round of Monday Night Politics at the African American Museum in Fair Park. The forum runs from 6-8 p.m. and gives candidates the opportunity to address voters directly.

Adrian Ocegueda, Michael Cooper, Amanda Edwards, M.J. Hegar and Texas Sen. Royce West were in attendance for the event. All candidates relayed to the audience that the upcoming election was a pivotal one for the country as a whole. Counteracting the effects of the Trump presidency made it an urgent election for Democrats to take control of the Senate.

Most well-known to Dallas residents was Texas Sen. Royce West. Serving the 23rd District, West has been in office since 1993, and told the audience his record was clear from operating at the state level.

“There’s a whole host of issues that need to be dealt with,” West said. “The question is whether or not I’m ready, and you believe that I’m ready to tackle those issues. I think what you end up having to do is, you have to look at what a person’s done in the past. It’ll give you a good idea of what that person’s going to do in the future. You know what I’ve done in the past on these issues. I’ve been out front on these issues.”

Hegar has been a front-runner in recent polls on the primary race. A former Air Force pilot, she has gained notoriety for both escaping from Taliban insurgents after being shot down and wounded in Afghanistan, and for taking on the Air Force in a lawsuit over the role of women in combat service positions. Women’s rights, gun violence, and environmental concerns are her top issues; and she says beating the odds is something she’s used to.

“When I took on the Department of Defense and the bureaucrats in D.C. who were trying to close jobs for women I was also told that was impossible,” Hegar said. “‘You’re not going to change 200 years of military tradition.’ And I did. So give me challenges, I’ll take them.”

Amanda Edwards is an At-Large member of the Houston City Council. She said watching her father’s battle with cancer made her a fierce advocate for healthcare access, reminding voters Cornyn has voted against the Affordable Care Act six times. As a lawyer, she is concerned about the process of Supreme Court appointments. She recalled victims after the 2017 floods which ravaged Houston in the wake of Hurricane Harvey and having residents thinking campaign season had begun, stating it was indicative of career politicians being out of touch with those they serve.

“We have got to change the dysfunction that is going on in the way that our democracy works — and does not work — for so many of our residents and our communities,” Edwards said. “It cannot be the case that we just show up when it’s campaign time and then we go away to our offices. We have got to be here to be accountable to you and delivering the results no matter what party we are in. And most importantly, delivering the results in the ways that matter most to your lives.”

Cooper, who is from East Texas and proudly known for wearing his cowboy hat, is the president of the Beaumont chapter of the NAACP. He was last at Monday Night Politics in an unsuccessful bid to gain the nomination for Texas Lt. Governor in 2018. In addition to his work as an advocate and pastor, he touts his business experience as an asset for serving in the Senate. He shared the experience of negotiating the naming rights for Toyota Stadium in Houston as an example. He also recalled pressuring Austin to make good on a teacher’s pay raise, citing it as an example of working for change from the outside.

Education and healthcare are among his top priorities, and he said he wanted to get all money out of politics. When asked about the difficulty of funded healthcare for all, he suggested getting minorities out of prison cells and into well-paying trades as being a primary source of tax revenues for that purpose.

“I am not a politician,” Cooper said. “I am un-bought, and un-bossed; which means I’m just like you. I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired. I want to work for the people. I’ve proved that before and I’m going to prove it again.”

Ocegueda, who began his activism while studying at Princeton and was a candidate for Texas Governor in the 2018 primary, said a lot of his campaign was about educating the public. He admitted his chances were slim to win the election, but that too often the right questions were not being asked of candidates and the electorate was not very informed. He warned against voting only based on name recognition, and implored the audience to dig deeper and become more informed on issues and how the government actually works.

“We as human beings make mistakes in our choices,” Ocegueda said. “We do it all the time. You guys have bought something from the store, and you come back and pick another one. It stays in the closet and you never use it. I believe we also make stupid choices in politics all the time, which is why we ended up with this president. The question is who’s talking about how we get educated collectively? How are we thinking differently about all of these issues? What have we been told? So what looks good to you as a candidate may not be the actual choice for what we’re going to need for all the solutions going forward.

Monday Night Politics picks up again on Jan. 27 with candidates for U.S. Representative in Districts 30 and 33, Railroad Commissioner and Texas State Representative for District 109.