With the Morning Consult poll Tuesday giving Republican Sen. John Cornyn a lead of 46% to 41% over Democrat MJ Hegar, Texas voters are nonetheless likely to be treated to an intense final few days of a contest that could go down to the wire — very much as that in 2018 did, with Republican Sen. Ted Cruz finally eking out a win over Democrat Beto O'Rourke.
On the same day that Morning Consult's latest numbers came out, Hegar's campaign announced it had outraised that of Cornyn during the first two weeks of October — a lopsided $3.7 million to the incumbent's $1.3 million.
In addition, at least two Democrat super PACs are pouring $12.5 million into the Lone Star State in an effort to take out three-term Sen. Cornyn.
Earlier this week, Cornyn's campaign began running spots showing former U.S. Air Force helicopter pilot Hegar using cursewords such as "f---" and "ass" on the stump but bleeping them out. In contrast to the candidate who uses profanity, the ad goes, Cornyn's approach is "to treat people with respect."
Hegar came back swinging. In a much-retweeted tweet, the Democrat called Cornyn "a sell-out" and said "Texans see through your "bull----."
"It's a damn shame you've spent so long in DC you forgot what regular Texans sound like," went Hegar's tweet. "So we're gonna send your ass home."
The last time Texas elected a Democrat senator was in 1988, when it gave the late Sen. Lloyd Bentsen a fourth term while he was running simulataneously for vice president.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.