Texas Democrat MJ Hegar outraises Republican incumbent after viral video
A Democratic combat veteran running to unseat a longtime Republican incumbent in Texas has outraised him this quarter by nearly a 4-1 margin, according to new filings with the Federal Election Commission.
Posted — UpdatedMJ Hegar, a US Air Force veteran, is running in Texas's 31st district against Republican incumbent Rep. John Carter, who has held the seat for 15 years. The district is traditionally Republican, and President Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton by more than 12 points. CNN rates the race as Likely Republican.
According to the report, Hegar -- who also had to advance past a runoff race -- raised $1,171,373 while Carter raised $266,889.
"The thousands of people who are supporting our campaign show that it is time to show the door to politicians who care more about campaign donors and political parties than protecting our country, Hegar said in a statement to CNN about the latest filings.
"I look forward to building on our success this quarter and continuing to run a campaign powered by people and not corporate PACs."
Hegar's campaign has attributed the candidate's recent surge in popularity in part to a viral video that chronicled her military experience and battle against discrimination in the Air Force. Since it was posted, it has garnered more than 2.6 million views.
"I think that part of the reason it's been so well-received is because the message resonates with people," Hegar told CNN's John Berman on "New Day" in June. "A lot of people across the country feel like they have absent representation and that their voices are not being heard."
Hegar's campaign announced that it had received $750,000 in the 10 days following its release.
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