Are Sen. John Cornyn’s attacks against Royce West designed to sink Dallas Democrat or boost MJ Hegar?

The incumbent Republican senator’s feud with West comes as the Democratic runoff approaches.

By Gromer Jeffers Jr.

As published in the Dallas Morning News.

An escalating feud between Sen. John Cornyn and Democratic rival Royce West raises questions about the incumbent Republican’s political calculations.

With Air Force combat veteran MJ Hegar of Round Rock considered by many analysts as the Democratic frontrunner, why is Cornyn continually attacking West, the longtime state senator from Dallas? The answer could provide clues into Cornyn’s views on the Democratic race for Senate, as well as his preference for a November general election opponent.

It also reveals a fracture in the relationship of West and Cornyn, two longtime Texas leaders who have been fixtures on the Texas political scene. The back and forth could be about bruised feelings, with Cornyn’s campaign objecting to being called racists and West disappointed at the senator’s tactics.

“Cornyn’s an old dog playing an old trick,” said Ed Espinoza, executive director of the progressive group called Progress Texas. “He’s baiting Democrats to come to Royce’s defense. He’s trying to pick his opponent in the general election and he doesn’t want to run against MJ Hegar.”

But longtime Democratic strategist Colin Strother said Cornyn’s arrows at West proves he fears running against the state senator, not Hegar.

“They see him as their chief rival,” Strother said. “They don’t want him to be the nominee.”

“I’m sure he is afraid of facing a candidate like me in November,” West said Tuesday. “I have the record and the experience to more than match him, and I can bring together the diverse coalition of voters he and the Republicans have tried so hard to suppress in Texas, even now denying the common sense of voting by mail during COVID-19, because they value power more than people’s safety.”

An spokesperson for the Cornyn campaign declined additional comment.

Former Dallas County Republican Party Chairman Jonathan Neerman said it would be easier for Cornyn to run against West because the Dallas Democrat has a record to poke. He said that waking up a sleepy electorate was Cornyn’s first concern.

“That they are producing these ads now means that they see it as an opportunity to be active during a political lull,” Neerman said. “The senator going after the senator is raising both of their profiles.”

Hard feelings

Earlier this month, Cornyn infuriated West when his campaign aides began dubbing the senator “Restful Royce,” which West’s campaign spokesman Vince Leibowitz called “dog whistle racism” because it dusts up the longtime racial stereotypes of African Americans being lazy. The West campaign put out a video blasting Cornyn over the label.

Cornyn has called Hegar “Hollywood Hegar" because of her support from some entertainers, but hasn’t pelted her as much as West.

Cornyn campaign spokesperson Krista Piferrer denied the “Restful Royce” tag was a racist dog whistle, saying “Restful is a pseudonym for ‘quiet,’ ‘calm,’ ‘tranquil’ and ‘leisurely.’

“All words that describe the pathetic campaign that West has been running,” she said, promising to rebrand West as “Radical Royce.”

On Tuesday the new attack theme was unveiled in a Cornyn-produced video that said West has refused to speak out against a “liberal mob” that has lambasted President Donald Trump. That mob, the video says, includes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, comedian Kathy Griffin, Rep. Maxine Waters of California and others.

“Radical Royce is surging, thanks to a little help from the media,” a news release announcing the video stated. “The truth is Radical Royce sat in silence while liberal elites spewed venom at our values.” West responded by suggesting Cornyn was “Trump Jr.”

“Cornyn called me the leader of a liberal mob today to raise money,” West said in a prepared statement. “Like I said, if being liberal means I stood up for women’s rights, or healthcare for all, or better education, then I’ll take it as a compliment. The truth is, he’s desperate. He’s pulling out the Trump Junior playbook of misinformation and bullying tactics. It’s not a good look for a U.S. Senator.”

Noticeably absent from Cornyn’s recent fire is Hegar, who this week defended West.

For her part, Hegar has spent most of her campaign blasting Cornyn and focusing little--at least publicly--on West.

“Time and time again Sen. Cornyn proves just how out of step he is with real Texas values,” said Hegar campaign spokesperson Amanda Sherman, calling Cornyn’s attacks “toxic political BS”. “If he had any integrity left, he would immediately admit that his comments were the latest in a series of racist missteps and apologize to Senator West. However, like the endangered career politician he is, Senator Cornyn is playing transparent political games and spreading more dangerous rhetoric in an effort to save himself from being defeated by MJ Hegar in November.”

Does Cornyn want Hegar or West?

Hegar, who’s locked in a July 14 runoff against West, suggested in an April fundraising appeal that Cornyn would get involved in the Democratic Senate primary.

“We can’t get complacent now,” she wrote to supporters. “Sen. Cornyn and his D.C. boss Mitch McConnell are terrified of the campaign we’ve built, and it’s possible they might even meddle in our runoff to boost our opponent!”

On March 3 Hegar finished first over West in a 12-person field. She has a dramatic fundraising advantage and more campaign resources than West. Her donor base dwarfs West’s number of contributors. Hegar is backed by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

A poll by The Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas-Tyler shows Hegar with a 32 percent to 16 percent lead over West, though most voters are undecided.

Some analysts say her ability to attract suburban women voters makes her a dangerous candidate for Cornyn, and that’s why he’s trying to elevate West. The poll found she leads with white and older voters. Espinoza, the progressive Democrat, said Trump’s growing unpopularity the mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic has shortened his coattails, leaving Cornyn to look for other ways to fire up his base. West has become his boogeyman, the urban liberal that Republicans traditionally use to scare conservative voters and raise money.

“He’s got to find an enemy and that enemy is Royce,” Espinoza said.

But Strother says West more upside than Hegar, and the low turnout runoff and his broad support gives him an edge. Nearly all of the Democratic leaders in the Texas Legislature support West. If his supporters inside the party’s establishment turns out voters, he could win.

Strother says Cornyn is also worried that West will boost down ballot candidates by turning out African American and, perhaps, Hispanic voters.

“Cornyn assumes he’s going to win,” Strother said. “The concern for him is what happens down ballot. That’ why Royce West is their nightmare candidate.”

But if the key to Democratic victories in November is mobilizing suburban voters, Hegar could be the tougher opponent, some analyst say.

Is anybody paying attention?

Veteran political consultant Harold Cook says both scenarios have merit, and it’s hard to know what Cornyn’s campaign is mulling.

“They undoubtedly has seen something in polling that worries them,” he said. “It doesn’t come out of thin air. And elevating the guy you want to run against by attacking him has worked in the past.”

“The problem here is that nobody is paying attention,” he said. “With all that is going on, who’s thinking about a runoff.”

Neerman, the former GOP chairman, said few people are thinking about Cornyn, West or Hegar. “When is the runoff?” Neerman joked. “I don’t think anybody is thinking about primaries or general elections at this point.”

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