Federal Government – US Senate

Job description	Represents the state of Texas in the US Senate, the upper chamber of the legislative branch. Term is six years.
Duties	Writes and votes on federal laws. Votes to confirm or deny presidential appointments (Cabinet members, Supreme Court justices, ambassadors). Votes to confirm or deny treaties with foreign governments. The Senate leads the federal budget process, which decides how much the federal government will spend each year. The Senate also has the power to hold an impeachment trial for any federal official who commits a crime against the country.
Annual salary	$174,000

Who’s Running?

Mary “MJ” Hegar Website: https://mjfortexas.com Email: info@mjfortexas.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MJforTexas/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/mjhegar Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjfortexas/	Democrat
David Bruce Collins Website: http://www.dbcgreentx.net/issues-for-2020.html Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/David-B-Collins-Green-for-US-Senate-114753426976836/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/dbcgreentx	Green
Kerry McKennon Website: https://www.mckennon2020.com Email: info@mckennon2020.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/McKennon2020/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/McKennon2020 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mckennon2020/	Libertarian
John Corbyn (incumbent) Website: http://www.johncornyn.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SenJohnCornyn/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/johncornyn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamcornyn/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SenJohnCornyn US Senate page: https://www.cornyn.senate.gov	Republican

• “Here’s how private equity firms targeted Republican Sen. John Cornyn with dark money to preserve surprise medical billing,” BuzzFeed News (Oct 19, 2020) https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/paulmcleod/john-cornyn-surprise-medical-billing-ads
• “Cornyn says he broke with Trump on deficit, border wall, but kept opposition private,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Oct 18, 2020) https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article246503045.html (paywall – article limit)
• “Fact check: No, MJ Hegar doesn’t want to legalize prostitution, despite claim in John Cornyn ad,” Dallas Morning News (Oct 15, 2020) https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/10/14/fact-check-no-mj-hegar-doesnt-want-to-legalize-prostitution-despite-claim-in-john-cornyn-ad/ (paywall – article limit)
• “Cornyn, Hegar address how they will represent all constituents, not just base,” San Angelo Standard-Times (Oct 13, 2020) https://www.gosanangelo.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/10/13/cornyn-hegar-address-how-they-represent-all-constituents/3594418001/ (paywall – article limit)
• “Universal background checks could play role in campaigns of US Senate,” ABC7 Amarillo (Oct 12, 2020) https://abc7amarillo.com/news/local/universal-background-check-could-play-role-in-campaigns-of-us-senate-candidates
• “Texas’ John Cornyn and MJ Hegar argue over coronavirus response, policing and the Supreme Court in US Senate debate,” Texas Tribune (Oct 9, 2020) https://www.texastribune.org/2020/10/09/john-cornyn-mj-hegar-senate-debate-texas/
  “MJ Hegar: ‘We need to start electing servant leaders who are willing to put their own self-interest on the line,” (includes video) WWLP.com (Oct 5, 2020) https://www.wwlp.com/news/mj-hegar-we-need-to-start-electing-servant-leaders-who-are-willing-to-put-their-own-self-interest-on-the-line/
• “Democrat MJ Hegar says Supreme Court justices should have term limits” (video) KHOU.com (Oct 3, 2020) https://www.khou.com/article/news/politics/inside-politics/texas-politics/democrat-mj-hegar-says-supreme-court-justices-should-have-term-limits/287-b9320406-d645-473d-858f-8f3bb5e80a20
• “we’ve all tried to do our best’: Cornyn defends Trump’s COVID-19 response after president tests positive for virus,” Dallas Morning News (Oct 3, 2020) https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/10/02/weve-all-tried-to-do-our-best-cornyn-defends-trumps-covid-19-response-after-president-tests-positive-for-virus/ (paywall – article limit)
• “Transcript: Cape Up Live: MJ Hegar with Jonathan Capehart,” Washington Post (Sep 23, 2020) https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live/2020/09/23/transcript-cape-up-live-mj-hegar-with-jonathan-capehart/ (paywall – article limit)
• “Ted Cruz and John Cornyn indicate support for confirming a new Supreme Court justice before the election,” Texas Tribune (Sep 18, 2020) https://www.texastribune.org/2020/09/18/ted-cruz-john-cornyn-supreme-court/
• “After 2018, MJ Hegar didn’t want to run for office again. Now she’s trying to flip the Senate,” Elle.com (Sep 17, 2020) https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a34012964/mj-hegar-texas-senate-interview/
• “Sen John Cornyn runs TV ad touting his support of DREAM Act despite record of voting against it, “ San Antonio Current (Sep 17, 2020) https://www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2020/09/17/sen-john-cornyn-runs-tv-ad-touting-his-support-of-dream-act-despite-record-of-voting-against-it
• “Watch John Cornyn and MJ Hegar debate the pandemic, police reform and voting,” Texas Tribune (Sep 16, 2020) https://www.texastribune.org/2020/09/16/us-senate-texas-cornyn-hegar/ (includes video)
• “Texas Supreme Court rules 3 Green Party candidates should be added back to November ballot,” Texas Tribune (Sep 15, 2020) https://www.texastribune.org/2020/09/15/texas-supreme-court-green-party-ballot/
• “Trump has stacked federal courts in Texas and beyond with conservative judges, but GOP, Cornyn want more,” Dallas Morning News (Sep 11, 2020) https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/09/10/trump-has-stacked-federal-courts-in-texas-and-beyond-with-conservative-judges-but-gop-cornyn-want-more/ (paywall – article limit)
• “US Sen John Cornyn suggests Trump could’ve struck a better balance in discussing early coronavirus threat,” Texas Tribune (Sep 10, 2020) https://www.texastribune.org/2020/09/10/john-cornyn-trump-woodward-coronavirus/
• “Sen Cornyn addresses wide range of issues facing Texas,” ktxs.com (Sep 2, 2020) https://ktxs.com/news/local/sen-cornyn-addresses-wide-range-of-issues-facing-texas
• “GOP Sen. John Cornyn’s ex-staffers lobbied for pharma giant accused of price-gouging COVID drugs,” Salon.com (Sep 2, 2020) https://www.salon.com/2020/09/02/gop-sen-john-cornyns-ex-staffers-lobbied-for-pharma-giant-accused-of-price-gouging-covid-drugs/
• “Cornyn predicts Trump will win Texas. ‘Why? Because he has me,'” Dallas Morning News (Aug 28, 2020) https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/08/27/cornyn-predicts-trump-will-win-texas-why-because-he-has-me/
• “Everything you need to know about Texas’ US Senate election,” Business Insider (Aug 28, 2020) https://www.businessinsider.com/john-cornyn-vs-mj-hegar-texas-senate-election-fundraising-polls-2020
• “Appeals court blocks three Green Party candidates from 2020 ballot,” Houston Chronicle (Aug 19, 2020) https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/Judge-temporarily-blocks-Green-Party-candidates-15496446.php (paywall – article limit)
• “Cornyn joins Senate GOP group working on police overhaul effort; West, Hegar question intent,” Dallas Morning News (Jun 9, 2020) https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/06/09/cornyn-joins-senate-gop-group-working-on-police-overhaul-effort-west-hegar-question-intent/ (paywall – article limit)
• “Many Texans in Congress scrambled to join vote as U.S. House passes coronavirus spending bill,” Texas Tribune (Mar 27, 2020) https://www.texastribune.org/2020/03/27/texans-congress-vote-pass-coronavirus-spending-bill/
• “U.S. Sen. John Cornyn draws rebuke for blaming coronavirus on China,” Texas Tribune (Mar 18, 2020) https://www.texastribune.org/2020/03/18/john-cornyn-texas-coronavirus-china/
• “John Cornyn opposes legal pot, says marijuana use may harm kids, pregnant women,” Dallas Morning News (Feb 21, 2020) https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/02/20/john-cornyn-opposes-legal-pot-says-marijuana-use-may-harm-the-young-pregnant-women/ (paywall -article limit)
• “MJ Hegar says her military experience makes her the fighter Democrats need to take on John Cornyn,’ Texas Tribune (Feb 14, 2020) https://www.texastribune.org/2020/02/14/mj-hegar-leans-military-experience-race-beat-us-sen-john-cornyn/ 
• “Texas Sens. Ted Cruz, John Cornyn vote against bipartisan measure to limit Trump’s Iran war powers,” Dallas Morning News (Feb 12, 2020) https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/02/13/cruz-cornyn-vote-against-bipartisan-measure-to-limit-trumps-iran-war-powers/ (paywall – article limit)
• “John Cornyn defends Trump’s firing of Sondland, Vindeman,” Dallas Morning News (Feb 11, 2020) https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/02/11/john-cornyn-defends-trumps-firing-of-sondland-vindman-thats-within-his-prerogative/ (paywall – article limit)
• “MJ Hegar makes second run on bigger stage,” Austin American-Statesman (Feb 10, 2020) https://www.statesman.com/news/20200210/mj-hegar-makes-second-run-on-bigger-stage (paywall – article limit)
• “Ted Cruz and John Cornyn join successful effort to acquit President Donald Trump,” Texas Tribune (Feb 5, 2020) https://www.texastribune.org/2020/02/05/ted-cruz-and-john-cornyn-join-successful-effort-acquit-president-trump/ 
• “Sen John Cornyn’s 2019 Report Card” GovTrack.us (last updated Jan 18, 2020) https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/john_cornyn/300027/report-card/2019