Senate Democrats wade into pricey Texas race
August 4, 2020
Senate Democrats' official campaign committee is making its first big investment in Texas for the general election to boost Democrat MJ Hegar in her bid against Republican Sen. John Cornyn.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is planning a seven-figure investment in Texas through coordinated campaign funds, which is intended for a combination of TV ads, polling and field organizing and data resources, according to details shared first with POLITICO. This marks the Senate committee's first significant investment in Texas for this fall, though neither the DSCC nor outside allies have booked independent expenditures to run in the state's multiple expensive media markets.
The new investment comes after the committee commissioned an internal poll showing a tight race between Cornyn and Hegar. The survey, conducted late last month, showed Cornyn with a slim lead over Hegar, 43 percent to 42 percent, with 15 percent of voters undecided. The poll was conducted by Global Strategy Group and Latino Decisions.
The poll showed Hegar with relatively low name ID and room for growth. One-third of voters rated her favorably compared to 23 percent who rated her unfavorably. Cornyn, a three-term incumbent, was viewed favorably by 38 percent of voters and unfavorably by 37 percent.
Democrats have grown optimistic about Texas this cycle, with most public polling showing Joe Biden competitive against President Trump and a handful of critical House battleground races taking place in the state. Still, the Senate race has not emerged as a top-tier battleground.
"This race is a dead heat, and our increased investment reflects how MJ's campaign and the increasingly competitive climate has put another offensive opportunity on the map," Scott Fairchild, the DSCC executive director, said in a statement.
Republicans remain relatively optimistic about Texas compared to other races on the map. Cornyn leads Hegar in most public polling, including a recent Quinnipiac University survey from mid-July that showed him ahead 47 percent to 38 percent. Cornyn also has a massive financial advantage: he had $14.5 million on hand as of June 30, compared to less than $1 million for Hegar, who faced a competitive primary in mid-July. Her campaign announced that it raised more than $1 million in the week following her primary victory. The DSCC spent about $800,000 in coordinated funds to boost Hegar in the primary.
The DSCC and National Republican Senatorial Committee have not booked airtime for any independent expenditures yet; neither Senate Majority PAC, the top Democratic outside group, or its GOP counterpart Senate Leadership Fund have booked any time on airwaves in Texas. The state is unlikely to be viewed as a true battleground Senate race until either party commits significant funds to TV ads for the fall.
Still, the seven-figure coordinated spending is a more significant investment than Democrats have made in the state in the past. In 2018, then-Rep. Beto O'Rourke raised a massive sum of money and lost to Sen. Ted Cruz by only three percentage points. The DSCC did not make any financial investments in the race, either through coordinated funds or independent expenditures, according to FEC records.
Source: https://www.politico.com/
