An Air Force and combat veteran is the first Democrat to announce she will challenge Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn next year.
M.J. Hegar was an unsuccessful candidate for a U.S. House seat last year against a Republican incumbent. But she came very close to defeating Congressman John Carter in what was supposed to be a safe seat for Republicans in the northern suburbs of Austin.
Cornyn has held his seat since 2002 and has more than $7 million in his campaign account.
Hegar is a former Air Force and Air National Guard helicopter pilot who was shot down and injured on a rescue mission in Afghanistan.
She said unseating an entrenched incumbent is going to be tough. But she told her Twitter followers that she has faced worse odds.
Cornyn’s campaign launched an immediate counter attack to her announcement saying her liberal policies will play better in Hollywood than in Texas.