Good things keep happening to MJ Hegar.
MJ Hegar
EMILY’s List, a powerful organization that backs female Democratic candidates who support abortion rights, is putting its support behind Hegar, an Air Force veteran who has shot to national prominence in recent weeks following the release of a widely praised campaign video.
This is a long-shot race in a deeply Republican district against U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock. But EMILY’s List is a fundraising juggernaut in congressional politics and this endorsement could deliver even more money to an already well-funded campaign.
“MJ is running against incumbent Congressman John Carter, a Tea Party extremist who hasn’t faced a tough re-election fight in years,” EMILY’s List president Stephanie Schriock said in a news release.
“MJ’s candidacy changes that. Voters in the 31st District finally have the opportunity to elect a representative who will fight for their interests, not special interests. Let’s show this military hero and champion for change the full support of the EMILY’s List community and do everything we can to help her flip this seat.”
That viral video and all the cash it helped Hegar raise keeps paying off. I wonder if we’ll start seeing CD31 being viewed differently by the prognosticators. Hegar is the fifth candidate from Texas to get the Emily’s List endorsement, following Veronica Escobar, Sylvia Garcia, Gina Ortiz Jones, and Lizzie Fletcher.
As of yesterday, there were a few completed Q2 reports available on the FEC page. One in particular caught my eye. I’ll let Patrick Svitek tell the story:
.@RepBrianBabin narrowly avoids getting outraised again by @daynasteele, reporting $225K raised for second quarter, with $943K cash on hand, per new FEC filing. Still remarkable numbers for a Democrat in this district. #TX36
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) 8:14 PM – 14 July 2018
Dayna Steele ends Q2 with $516,859 raised, and $342,527 on hand. I don’t have the adjectives to express how insane that is, but let me put it to you this way: Dayne Steele has outraised the totals for the last three cycles combined in every Republican-held district except for three – CDs 14, 23, and 27. The former is because of Nick Lampson’s campaign in 2012, and the latter is because we thought we’d be able to win back the seat Blake Farenthold fluked into in 2010, despite it being (illegally, I don’t care what SCOTUS says) redistricted to be safe for him. There’s a decent chance that Dayne Steele will top $1 million raised in this 70% Republican district by the time all is said and done. If I had any mind left, it would be blown to smithereens.
Once more to Twitter, from Abby Livingston:
We are seeing six-figure Dem hauls in uncompetitive Texas districts. R incumbents may choose to spend protectively back home rather than ship money out. Dems could end up not winning many seats in TX but the state could end up as a GOP money pit.
— Abby Livingston (@TexasTribAbby) 11:45 AM – 14 July 2018
Livingston had previously noted that Democrat Colin Allred had outraised Rep. Pete Sessions in CD32, though Sessions still has a cash-on-hand advantage. It’s a longstanding complaint among Texas Dems that we perennially serve as an ATM for the rest of the country. Well, that’s also true for the Republicans, but that’s been less of a problem for them since they haven’t generally needed that much money given all their other advantages. Not so much this year.
I’ll be rounding up these and other finance reports as they appear, so look for more in the coming days.
I won’t be accepting any money before or after the election.
Let me know when the women and black-democrats on city council and court figure out a $15 minimum wage and paid maternity leave.
If i wanted to twiddle my thumbs and read magazines with lawyers i’d return to foster llp