West in Democratic primary for U.S. Senate
Texas Democrats can be forgiven if they’ve been dreaming lately of a radically transformed political landscape in which, by January, Ted Cruz is Texas’ senior senator — and its only Republican one.
A fantasy? Not exactly. Beto O’Rourke’s near-miss race against Cruz in 2018 and hot passions stirred by the fight over President Donald Trump’s re-election prospects have roiled the usually predictable politics in the Lone Star State.
But defeating a three-term incumbent such as Sen. John Cornyn will not be easy.
So Democrats are faced with a double-barreled dilemma: Who among the talented and packed field of primary candidates is most likely to win in the fall, and who — this is especially important — is able to deliver the change Democrats have been promising Texans for decades, if only voters gave them another chance at high office?
We believe that candidate is state Sen. Royce West of Dallas, an African-American trailblazer whose record over 27 years in the Legislature is full of accomplishments as well as moments of courage and vision.
He’s been a state leader on issues as diverse as finance, criminal justice, public education and civil rights.
When then-Gov. Rick Perry drew fire in 2011 for a sign at his family hunting ranch that included a racial slur, it was West who spoke against labeling Perry, then running for president, a racist. But that same year, when the Texas division of the
Sons of the Confederacy sought to have Texas issue license plates with the Confederate battle flag, West demanded the Department of Motor Vehicles reject the plates, which it did on a razor-thin vote. The decision triggered a challenge that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court before West’s position was affirmed.
West was first elected in 1992, after being the first black section chief in the Dallas County District Attorney’s office. In his first term, he began championing a radical idea: building a brand-new state university in
South Dallas, a dream that eventually included the city’s only public law school. In 1997, at a rally for the still nascent proposal, then-Mayor Ron Kirk acknowledged it could take years to achieve approval and receive funding. “If it takes 10 years for this to happen, we’ll wait 10 years,” Kirk said.
West got busy building coalitions with Democrats and Republicans, lawmakers and higher education leaders. It took closer to 15 years, but he succeeded, and the school was established in 2010.
Now, West promises that if elected to the U.S. Senate, he’d work with Republicans there just as closely as he has in Austin. “I’d identify the areas where we agree and where we don’t,” he told the Editorial Board. “I’d set the second list aside and find ways to make progress on the areas we agree on.”
That’s the approach that helped him pass legislation to reduce juvenile crime and help reform Texas’ foster care system — both in his first term. Ever since, he’s been a Democratic point person on school finance and budget issues.
He’s unabashedly moderate, but he’s also been vocal on issues of race, in defense of public education and — more recently — for gay rights. “Who am I to sit up and say who you can love, OK? You love who you want to love — and that’s a fact,” he said at a recent stop in Walker County.
Our support for West meant bypassing some incredible contenders. Former City Council member Amanda Edwards was an excellent public servant with a shining intellect who we hope finds a way to continue in another role.
The front-runner in the race, Mary “M.J.” Hegar, showed why she has enjoyed early support. She was engaging, knowledgeable and told her remarkable story of bravery under fire as an Air Force pilot in Afghanistan. Michael Cooper, who ran for lieutenant governor in 2018, and Sema Hernandez, an activist in Houston making her second Senate run, are also intriguing candidates. Among others in the race who have made a positive impression are former City Council member and oneterm Congressman Chris Bell, El Paso native Adrian Ocegueda and Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez.
But among the dozen candidates on the ballot, none has anything like West’s legislative experience. We strongly suggest Democrats back his bid to challenge Cornyn. He also has an inspiring story— and a record to match.