<ul class="summary-list"><li>A <keyword id="15710" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="texas">Texas</keyword> Democrat running for Congress fired back at a conservative political action committee after it created an advertisement using an image that prominently featured her tattoos.</li><li>The photo of former US Air Force helicopter pilot <keyword id="9842369" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mj-hegar">MJ Hegar</keyword>, a Democrat running against Republican Sen. John Cornyn, likened her to a "radical liberal."</li><li>"Texans see right through this BS," Hegar told Insider.</li><li>Hegar commissioned the tattoos to cover up her injuries after her Pave Hawk helicopter was shot down by Taliban insurgents during a deployment to Afghanistan in 2009.</li></ul>A Texas Democrat running for Congress fired back at a conservative political action committee after it created an advertisement using an image that prominently featured her tattoos.The Texans for a Conservative Majority, a political action committee that supported other Republican super PACs, superimposed a photo of Democrat MJ Hegar on a dark background with the caption, "HARD LEFT HEGAR." The photo, which was noticeably featured at the top of the group's website, shows the tattoos on her right arm and accuses her of being a "radical liberal.""M.J. Hegar is a radical liberal who lacks the judgment Texans need in the Senate," a caption to the photo said, adding on its website that, "M.J. Hegar is too extreme for Texas."Hegar, who served in the US Air Force as a combat search-and-rescue pilot, commissioned the tattoos to cover up her injuries after her HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter was shot down by Taliban insurgents during a deployment to Afghanistan in 2009.The enemy bullet fragmented across her arm and leg, causing the scars and tissue damage in those areas. Those scars, Hegar told Insider, were always a stark reminder of the shooting. Hegar received a Purple Heart for her injuries and became one of the few women to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross with a valor device."Every time I went down to pick up my son, I saw my scars and had flashbacks of that trauma," Hegar told Insider. "So I did what I always do — I sought to make my scars more beautiful.""That's why I'm running for the Senate too," Hegar added. "It's just an inherent drive in me to go out and fix the problems I see. I chose cherry blossoms for the <keyword id="1123" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tattoo">tattoo</keyword> as a reminder of my time stationed in the military in Japan, and I smile with pride when I catch a glimpse of my arm as I pick up my kids."Asked about the photo, Hegar said she embraced the imagery and that "Texans see right through this BS.""I'm damn proud of my tattoos because they're a mark of my service to our country," Hegar said.Hegar, is running against incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn, a three-term lawmaker. Several polls indicate Cornyn has a healthy lead against Hegar, including a recent <a href="https://poll.qu.edu/images/polling/oh/oh09242020_bgfx53.pdf">Quinnipiac University</a> poll that showed him with an 8-percentage point lead. The same poll found President Donald Trump leading former Vice President Joe Biden by 5-percentage points.

A GOP attack ad focuses on a Democratic candidate's arm tattoos. They cover scars from when the Taliban shot down her helicopter.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Air Force veteran and 2018 House candidate <keyword id="9842369" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mj-hegar">MJ Hegar</keyword> lost her challenge to incumbent GOP Sen. <keyword id="132193" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="John-Cornyn">John Cornyn</keyword> in <keyword id="15710" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="texas">Texas</keyword> in 2020, per a projection by Decision Desk HQ.</li><li>Cornyn, who was first elected in 2002 and has served in a number of positions in Senate leadership, secured a fourth term to the US Senate.</li><li>The political tide has been shifting in the state in recent cycles, and Democrats made a serious play for several statewide and congressional races.</li><li>Most polls in Texas closed at 8 p.m. ET on Election Day.</li><li>See the live coverage and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/2020-senate-election-results">full results from the US Senate elections.</a></li></ul>Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican incumbent, defeated Air Force veteran and 2018 US House candidate MJ Hegar in her challenge for a US Senate seat in Texas, according to Decision Desk HQ.Most polls in Texas closed at 8 p.m. ET on Election Day.<h2>The candidates</h2>Cornyn, first elected in 2002, secured a fourth term to the US Senate. He's served in leadership positions as the Senate minority whip from 2013 to 2015 and then as the majority whip from 2015 to 2019.Hegar, who ran for the House of Representatives in Texas' 31st District in 2018, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi6v4CYNSIQ">gained national attention for a powerful TV ad she aired</a> highlighting her military service and her work breaking down barriers for women in the military.A combat veteran and search and rescue pilot in the US Air Force, Hegar received a Purple Heart for injuries she sustained while flying a helicopter rescue mission in Afghanistan. When her injuries left her unable to keep flying, she <a href="https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/election-2020/2020/07/02/377202/how-mj-hegars-fight-to-open-military-combat-roles-for-women-inspired-her-current-senate-bid/">worked to change rules prohibiting women from serving in ground-combat positions</a>, and was then inspired to run for office. At the time of the election, Cornyn served on the powerful Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the Senate Finance Committee, and the Senate Judiciary Committee. His seniority in the Senate and long tenure representing the state led him to accrue a massive cash advantage in a large state with multiple expensive media markets.As of <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary?cycle=2020&amp;id=TXS1&amp;spec=Np;spec=N">the most recent campaign finance filings</a>, Cornyn spent $29.8 million compared to $17.2 million for Hegar, who won her primary runoff on July 14.<h2>The stakes</h2>Regaining control of the US Senate for the first time since 2015 was a top priority for Democrats and would be a major accomplishment toward either delivering on a future president Joe Biden's policy goals or thwarting President Donald Trump's second-term agenda. Before the election, the US Senate was made up of 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats, and two independents who caucus with Democrats. Democrats need to win back a net total of four seats to have a 51-seat majority. (If Biden wins, his vice president would also serve as president of the Senate and would be a tie-breaker vote.)Just eight days before the election, the US Senate <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/senate-confirms-amy-coney-barrett-to-the-supreme-court-2020-10">concluded a high-stakes confirmation battle</a> to fill a Supreme Court seat left by Justice <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg-career-2018-8">Ruth Bader Ginsburg</a>, who died at age 87 from pancreatic cancer on September 18, with Justice <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amy-coney-barrett-upcoming-supreme-court-cases-deciding-vote-2020-10">Amy Coney Barrett</a>. Ginsburg's death threw a stick of dynamite into an already supercharged election shaped by a deadly pandemic that has so far claimed over 230,000 American lives.Trump and McConnell's posturing on the issue excited conservatives enthusiastic about the president getting to appoint a third justice in his first term, but infuriated liberals <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/2020-elections/2020/09/mcconnell-hypocrisy-supreme-court-confirmation-ruth-bader-ginsburg/">who accused McConnell of blatant hypocrisy</a> after he refused to hold confirmation proceedings for Obama's Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland in 2016. <h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/2020-senate-election-results">See Insider's full guide to the race for the US Senate here</a></h3>Texas has been a Republican bastion for decades and hasn't elected a Democrat statewide since the 1990s. But Democrats have gained ground in recent elections largely thanks to the state's expanding population in major metro areas, a growing Hispanic segment of the electorate, and, most important, the suburban college-educated voters who made up the GOP base for years fleeing the party over their strong dislike of Trump.In 2018, Democrats flipped two US House seats, the 7th District in the Houston suburbs and the 32nd District in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and Democrat Beto O'Rourke came within 3 percentage points of defeating Sen. Ted Cruz statewide. Now, with <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/07/22/new-texas-poll-puts-trumps-problem-stark-relief/">Trump's favorability declining</a>, Democrats are looking to expand their margins and put the seat back in play. The Biden campaign has expanded its investment and staffing in the state, as polls show Trump ahead of Biden by a margin of just 1 percentage point, <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/senate/texas/">according to FiveThirtyEight's polling averages</a>.But even if Biden pulled off the Texas-sized feat of flipping the state back to Democrats, Hegar's path to victory was expected to be far more difficult. Though Trump's brand may be increasingly toxic in the Lone Star State, Cornyn was comfortably ahead of Hegar in most of the polls of the race conducted before Election Day. Cornyn also attempted to create some daylight between himself and Trump to win some crossover voters, <a href="https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article246503045.html">telling the Fort Worth Star-Telegram</a> that he "privately" disagreed with Trump on issues including the national deficit and border security. Cornyn told the outlet's editorial board that his relationship with Trump was "maybe like a lot of women who get married and think they're going to change their spouse, and that doesn't usually work out very well."Indeed, in 2016, voters splitting their tickets between Hillary Clinton and Republican Senate candidates allowed Republican senators including Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Sen. Ron Johnson Wisconsin to outperform Trump's razor-thin margins in those states. As O'Rourke's 2018 race proved, getting close to winning a statewide election in Texas is no small feat. At the time, O'Rourke's Senate bid <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/beto-o-rourke-shatters-fundraising-records-38-million-quarter-n919476">broke the all-time record for most money raised for a Senate campaign</a> in a single quarter. <h2>The money race </h2>Cornyn raised $25.2 million this cycle, spent $27.1 million, and had $3.8 million in cash on hand, <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/S2TX00106/?cycle=2020&amp;election_full=falsealse">federal campaign finance filings show</a>, while <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/S0TX00233/?cycle=2020&amp;election_full=falsealse">Hegar raised</a> $24.2 million, spent $17.4 million, and had $6.8 million in cash on hand. In 2020's third fundraising quarter, Hegar brought in a $13.5 million haul.<h2>What the polls say</h2>Cornyn led Hegar <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/senate/texas/">in all the public polls of the race conducted this year</a>, according to FiveThirtyEight's tracker of US Senate polls, mostly leading her by healthy single-digit margins.The most recent poll of the race <a href="https://morningconsult.com/form/2020-u-s-election-tracker/">conducted by Morning Consult</a> from October 22-31 found Cornyn leading Hegar by four points, 47% to 43%, among likely voters. Another recent poll <a href="https://emersonpolling.reportablenews.com/pr/super-poll-sunday-democrats-within-striking-distance-in-key-southern-states">conducted by Emerson College</a> also found Cornyn leading Hegar by four points, 51% to 47%, and a <a href="https://filesforprogress.org/datasets/2020/11/2020-election-polls/toplines/dfp_tx_11.1.20.pdf">Data for Progress poll</a> conducted October 27-November 1 found Cornyn leading by three points, 50% to 47%. <h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/2020-election-results">See the live coverage and full results from the U.S. presidential election.</a> </h3><h2>What the experts say: </h2>The <a href="https://cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings">Cook Political Report</a> and <a href="https://insideelections.com/ratings/senate">Inside Elections</a> rated the race as "leans Republican" and <a href="http://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/2020-senate/">Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics</a> rated the race as "likely Republican."<a href="https://insideelections.com/ratings/senate"></a>According to <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-election-forecast/senate/texas/">FiveThirtyEight's</a> US Senate forecasting model, Cornyn had an 89% chance of defeating Hegar in the November election and was expected to receive just over 10% more of the popular vote than Hegar.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn has defeated Democrat challenger MJ Hegar in her bid for US Senate

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="15710" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="texas">Texas</keyword> is holding runoffs in the Democratic primary for US <keyword id="6355284" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="senate">Senate</keyword> and several key US House of Representatives districts on Tuesday, July 14.</li><li>2018 House candidate MJ Hegar defeated State Senator Royce West in the runoff to face GOP Sen. John Cornyn in November. </li><li>Texas' runoffs are taking place amid a particularly bad outbreak of COVID-19 in the state. While Texas has several days of early voting, the state fought in court against expanding vote by mail options.</li></ul>Polls in most of Texas closed at 7 p.m. Central Time and 8 p.m. Eastern Time. <h2>The stakes:</h2>Texas voters are picking nominees for several U.S. congressional races in Tuesday's runoff elections as the state battles a rampant surge in coronavirus cases.No candidate passed the 50 percent threshold required to appear on the November ballot in the state's March 3 Democratic primary, resulting in runoffs that were initially scheduled for May 26 but were postponed to Tuesday because of the pandemic.Texas, unlike many other states that have held elections during the public health crisis, did not expand access to mail-in ballots. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who believes <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/ag-paxton-files-brief-seeking-prevent-voter-fraud-through-unlawful-expansion-mail-voting">widespread vote-by-mail</a> would lead to increased voter fraud <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/false-narrative-vote-mail-fraud">despite ample research showing mail ballot fraud is extremely rare</a>, managed to ward off local Democrats' legal challenges that aimed to provide absentee ballots for those who do not wish to risk their health by showing up at the polls.The US Supreme Court also denied the Texas Democratic Party's initial request in court to grant expanded access to the state's more than 16 million registered voters, a decision which President Donald Trump celebrated.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1276629230617604096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2020</a></blockquote>Some poll workers walked off the job prior to Tuesday due to concerns over Gov. Greg Abbott's refusal to mandate mask-wearing for voters, resulting in a handful of polling locations being shuttered, according to reporting <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/07/09/texas-voting-coronavirus/">from the Texas Tribune</a>. The state's highest one-day count since the outbreak began was on July 11 with 10,351 confirmed cases. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/texas-coronavirus-cases.html"></a><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/texas-coronavirus-cases.html">As of Tuesday,</a> Texas reported nearly 275,000 cases and 3,331 deaths from the virus with a seven-day average of 9,195 new confirmed cases and 84 deaths per day, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/texas-coronavirus-cases.html">according to The New York Times.</a><h2>The races: </h2>Air Force veteran MJ Hegar defeated state senator and lawyer Royce West in the runoff to face Republican Sen. John Cornyn this November. Hegar has promoted her military service and life as a working mom to garner support, and has emerged as the leading candidate with roughly <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-us-senate-democratic-primary-live-updates-vote-counts-2020-3">22 percent of the vote in March's primary</a>. The former helicopter pilot, who also ran for U.S. House in 2018 but was narrowly defeated, has raised more than $6.5 million <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary?cycle=2020&amp;id=TXS1&amp;spec=Np;spec=N">according to the Center for Responsive Politics</a> — three times more than West's estimated $1.7 million. <div type="image" title="AP_mj_hegar_jpg" height="773" width="1160" msid="76964776" hostid="261"></div>Hegar has received major endorsements from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the super PAC EMILY's List. West, on the other hand, has backing from local leaders in the state legislature, where he has represented Dallas for 27 years.Though their platforms align on many issues, from advocating for criminal justice reform to addressing health care inequities, the competition has turned increasingly bitter in its final weeks.One heated exchange unfolded <a href="https://www.kvue.com/article/news/politics/vote-texas/texas-vote-senate-royce-west-mj-hegar-debate-recap/269-07659be8-a3f7-4319-baf0-0cccf7ce93cb">on local television station KVUE</a> when Royce questioned Hegar's history as a Democrat after rumors surfaced that she voted in the 2016 Republican primary and made a monetary contribution to Cornyn's campaign in 2011.Hegar admitted on air that she had indeed made a $25 dollar donation to Cornyn to "get a meeting" with him, wielding the move as an example of the corrupt influence of money in <keyword id="6358883" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="politics">politics</keyword>. She then attacked Royce for playing a role in the "broken system" by implying he became a millionaire while in office. Hegar also defended her vote for Carly Fiorina in 2016, which she said was an effort to stop the candidacy of Donald Trump, <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/06/29/mj-hegar-royce-west-debate/">according to the Texas Tribune. </a><div type="image" title="AP_royce_west" height="580" width="1160" msid="76964780" hostid="261"></div>Royce suggested in an email to supporters that Hegar's remarks on his financial success were racially motivated, to which she then denied in a Zoom call with reporters, <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/07/07/mj-hegar-denies-royce-west-claim-shes-not-a-real-democrat-possibly-racist-hits-him-as-sexist-cozy-with-corruption/">as reported by the Dallas Morning News</a>. Royce has recently homed in on anti-racism protests around the country as a new pathway to support his bid. If elected, he will become the first Black senator to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate. Hegar will face three-term GOP incumbent Cornyn, who has the largest war chest with $18.7 million raised and $12.8 million cash on hand. His reelection would help retain the upper chamber's Republican majority. No Democrat has won a statewide election since 1994, though political analysts argue the field in Texas <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-suburban-voters-fleeing-trumps-gop-democrats-could-win-big-2019-8">has shifted toward more purple territory in recent years. </a>Former local school board member Candance Valenzuela defeated former Air Force pilot looking to snag a Democratic nomination is Kim Olson in the Democratic primary for Texas' 24th Congressional District, a suburban seat spread between Fort Worth and Dallas. Valenzuela, a progressive who has shared her childhood experiences of homelessness on the campaign trail, would be the first Black Latina woman in Congress if elected. She has received endorsements from Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, former HUD Secretary Julián Castro and the Black, Hispanic and Asian congressional caucuses.Olson's campaign was bruised by her controversial history as an administrator for the Dallas Independent School District and past charges of war profiteering in Iraq, which she has called inaccurate, <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/04/23/kim-olson-air-force-exit-congress/">according to the Texas Tribune</a>. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OLtxLWJgHZo" frameborder="0"></iframe>Valenzuela will face former Irving Mayor Republican Beth Van Duyne, who also served in the Trump administration, in a chance to flip the seat currently held by retiring Rep. Kenny Marchant. When Rep. Pete Olson announced his retirement, 15 candidates entered the primary for the 22nd Congressional District, which includes Fort Bend County, located south of Houston.The crowded field ultimately narrowed to county sheriff Troy Nehls and longtime Republican donor Kathaleen Wall. On Tuesday, Nehls defeated Wall by a large margin in the runoff. Wall had broken state records in self-funding — a total of $8.3 million — to support her campaign, <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/No-Texan-running-for-U-S-House-has-ever-spent-15391812.php">according to the Houston Chronicle.</a> Nehls, meanwhile, had raised less than $500,000 but carried 41 percent of the vote and was recently endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Congress. The contest has not been without drama. Wall released a slew of campaign ads, including one commercial that mimics Trump's blaming of China for the coronavirus, a move Democrats have denounced as racist, <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/07/01/tx-22-runoff-troy-nehls-kathaleen-wall/">as reported by the Texas Tribune</a>. She has also received blowback from her rival after she released two ads that accused the sheriff's office of mishandling sex trafficking cases. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5F4yT-gpl78" frameborder="0"></iframe>"To suggest we ignore cases or turn a blind eye is an ABSOLUTE LIE," Nehls <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SheriffTNehls/posts/2592437487675666">wrote in a Facebook post.</a> "I am the only candidate in this race who has done something to combat human trafficking."Nehls will run against Democrat Sri Preston Kulkarni, who is hoping to flip the GOP seat after losing to Olson in 2018 by just five points.Here's the status of the other big runoff races to watch on Tuesday:<ul><li><a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2020/07/in-texas-former-presidential-doctor-ronny-jackson-seeks-a-seat-in-congress/">Controversial former White House physician</a> Ronny Jackson beat Josh Winegarner to win the Republican runoff in Texas' deep red 13th congressional district.</li><li>Mike Seigel defeated Dr. Pritesh Gandhi to face Rep. Michael McCaul in the Democratic runoff for Texas' 10th congressional district, which occupies a large swath of the suburbs between Houston and Austin. </li><li>The Republican runoff between Tony Gonzalez and Raul Reyes to face Democratic nominee Gina Ortiz-Jones is still too close to call in Texas' 23rd district, a Democratic-trending district which is being vacated by retiring Rep. Will Hurd. </li></ul>

MJ Hegar clinches the Democratic nomination to face GOP Sen. John Cornyn in Texas

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e5d789dfee23d11d06f1917-1671/tx%20senate%20primary%202x1.png" alt="TX senate primary 2x1" />Shayanne Gal/Business Insider<ul class="summary-list"><li>Along with the Democratic presidential primary, Texas voters will pick a Democratic nominee to face off against US Senator John Cornyn in November. </li><li>Multiple candidates are vying to build on the groundbreaking US Senate campaign of Beto O'Rourke, who came within three percentage points of beating Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018.</li><li>Polls close at 7 p.m. Central Time at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Polls in Texas close at 7 p.m. Central Time at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. <h2>Texas US Senate Democratic primary results: </h2><h2>Who are the candidates?</h2>Here are <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Texas,_2020_(March_3_Democratic_primary)">the main candidates</a> competing for the Democratic nomination: <ul><li>US Air Force veteran and former 2018 congressional candidate MJ Hegar </li><li>Activist and former Workers Defense Project director Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez</li><li>Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards </li><li>State Senator Royce West</li><li>Former Rep. Chris Bell</li><li>Texas Poor People's Campaign director Sema Hernandez </li><li>Military veteran Victor Harris</li></ul>While Hegar leads the field in fundraising and has received several prominent endorsements, including the backing of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/03/02/wtih-mj-hegar-rising-democratic-senate-contest-against-republican-john-cornyn-a-race-for-second/">she still faces formidable competition</a> from a number of other Texas elected officials and activists. The most recent poll of the race, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/nbc-news-polls-sanders-has-edge-texas-tied-biden-north-n1146021?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma">conducted by Marist College and NBC News</a> from February 23-27, found Hegar leading the field with the support of 16% of likely primary voters compared to 9% for Tzintzún Ramirez and 8% for West. Texas is a run-off state, meaning that if no candidate earns over 30% of the vote in a primary, the top two vote-getters advance to a run-off election to be held on May 26, 2020. Given the lack of an overwhelmingly clear frontrunner in this race, Hegar and another candidate are likely to advance to a run-off. <h2>What's at stake in the primary?</h2>For decades, Texas was a reliable Republican stronghold - especially so at the state level, where Texans haven't elected a Democrat since the 1990s.But due to long-term demographic shifts and college-educated white professionals rapidly swinging from the GOP to the Democrats -<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-suburban-voters-fleeing-trumps-gop-democrats-could-win-big-2019-8">which was especially apparent in the 2018 midterms</a> - Texas is steadily trending purple. This year, Democrats are vying to build on the highly successful, groundbreaking US Senate campaign of Beto O'Rourke, who came within three percentage points of beating Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018.<h2>Catch up on live coverage from the primary:</h2>While you wait for Texas results to come in, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/super-tuesday-democratic-primary-live-results-vote-counts-every-state-2020-3">head over to our main Super Tuesday post</a> to follow all the action.Follow along with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-democratic-primary-live-results-vote-counts-2020-3">the results from the Democratic presidential primary in Texas</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-senate-house-super-tuesday-primaries-live-results-vote-counts-2020-3">all Texas down-ballot House primaries. </a><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-democratic-nomination-delegate-selection-process-works-2020-1">Here's how Democrats will elect their presidential nominee over the next several months</a></h3> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/presidential-debate-entertaining-problem-democratic-trump-reality-tv-show-2019-9">How networks treat the Democratic debates like reality TV</a></h3> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/UKopX7aS-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;"></iframe>

LIVE UPDATES: Follow the results of the Democratic primary for US Senate in Texas

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://poll.qu.edu/pennsylvania/release-detail?ReleaseID=3680">A Quinnipiac University poll</a> published Wednesday placed <keyword id="3828720" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="President-Donald-Trump">President Donald Trump</keyword> and <keyword id="99719" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Joe-Biden">Joe Biden</keyword> level in <keyword id="15710" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="texas">Texas</keyword>, with both candidates polling at 47% among likely voters.</li><li>The <keyword id="23009" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Poll">poll</keyword> asked 1,145 likely voters about their views on the candidates. The replies found just over half disapproving of the president's handling of the coronavirus.</li><li>The poll is a slight outlier compared with forecasts by FiveThirtyEight and Decision Desk HQ, which favor Trump to win narrowly in Texas.</li><li>A Democratic win in Texas would be a huge upset. The party has not held the state since 1976, when Jimmy Carter won the election.</li></ul>A new poll places President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, neck and neck in the otherwise reliably red state of Texas.Both candidates saw 47% support in the state <a href="https://poll.qu.edu/pennsylvania/release-detail?ReleaseID=3680">in a poll conducted by Quinnipiac University</a> from Friday to Monday.The poll asked likely voters who they would pick if the election were being held that day."Biden and Trump find themselves in a Texas stand-off, setting the stage for a bare knuckle battle for 38 electoral votes," the Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said.The poll gave a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points, a range of possibility suggesting either candidate could actually win by as many as 6 points.The poll's evenness between presidential candidates is a slight outlier compared with recent forecasts. In FiveThirtyEight's forecast, which combines the results of numerous trusted pollsters, <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-election-forecast/texas/">Trump was slightly favored</a> to win Texas as of Thursday.<a href="https://forecast.decisiondeskhq.com/president">A forecast from Decision Desk HQ</a>, a company that processes election results for the media, gave Trump a 61% chance of winning the state as of Thursday.A close race in Texas would be remarkable, however, even if Trump wins the state.A Democratic victory in Texas would at one stage have been unthinkable. Republicans have won Texas in every presidential election since 1976, when the Democrat Jimmy Carter triumphed there.The poll asked 1,145 Texans numerous questions about their views on the two candidates and their voting intentions.<div type="image" title="texas coronavirus" height="512" width="1024" msid="78808511" hostid="261"></div>Asked how they felt about Trump's handling of the coronavirus, 46% approved and 51% disapproved. Of his presidency overall, they were more split, with 49% approving and 48% disapproving.Separate from their voting intention, the sampled Texans were also asked to rate each candidate as "favorable" or "unfavorable" (as well as "haven't heard enough"). Trump was rated more favorably (48%) than Biden (44%).This was a small improvement for Biden compared with a September poll, while Trump's favorability remained essentially unchanged, the pollsters said.Fifty-six percent of the likely voters said Biden cared about average Americans, compared with 38% who said he didn't. Trump's rating here was more divided, with 51% saying he did and 47% saying he didn't.The poll also found that 69% of the Texans said they were going to vote at an early-voting location or had already done so. Eighteen percent said they would vote in person on Election Day, and 12% said they were planning to vote by mail or had already done so.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/early-voters-texas-exceed-states-total-trump-turnout-2016-2020-10?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T"></a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/early-voters-texas-exceed-states-total-trump-turnout-2016-2020-10?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">As Business Insider's Oma Seddiq and Madison Hall reported</a>, more people in Texas had voted as of earlier this week than voted for Trump in 2016.In the Senate race between <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/john-cornyn-vs-mj-hegar-texas-senate-election-fundraising-polls-2020?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">the Republican John Cornyn and the Democrat MJ Hegar</a>, the incumbent Cornyn led Hegar, 49% to 43%, among the polled likely voters.<a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/pollster-ratings/">Quinnipiac University is rated a B-plus</a> in an analysis of pollsters conducted by FiveThirtyEight, which rates according to the historical accuracy and methodology.

A striking new poll out of Texas shows Biden tied with Trump in a state that's been a GOP mainstay since 1976

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d01196f6fc9205cc4556333-960/img9774.jpg" border="0" alt="Beto O'Rourke running New York" data-mce-source="Eliza Relman/INSIDER" />Eliza Relman/INSIDER2020 presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke in Manhattan.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>2020 Democratic presidential candidate <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-beto-orourke-bio-age-family-key-positions-2019-3">Beto O'Rourke</a> told INSIDER on Wednesday he's "convinced" a Democrat will win a Senate seat in Texas next year and that his own unsuccessful 2018 Senate bid paved the way for it. </li><li>O'Rourke said his supporters "have helped Texas transition from a state that was a non-voting state to a state that is going to be fully represented in every state-wide and every national election." </li><li>He also argued that Texas's 38 Electoral College votes are "now unlocked" and that his 2020 campaign "perhaps more than any other, can lay claim to being able to win."</li><li>But a recent poll found that the majority of Texas Democrats wish O'Rourke would end his presidential bid and make another run for Senate.</li><li>O'Rourke led about 50 supporters on a two-mile run up the Hudson River greenway on Manhattan's West side on Wednesday as part of his celebration of Pride month.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>2020 Democratic presidential candidate <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-beto-orourke-bio-age-family-key-positions-2019-3">Beto O'Rourke</a> told INSIDER he's "convinced" a Democrat will win a Senate seat in Texas next year and that his own unsuccessful 2018 Senate bid paved the way for it. O'Rourke mentioned MJ Hegar, a Navy combat veteran who came close to winning a red congressional seat in Texas last year, who last month <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/23/us/politics/mj-hegar-cornyn-senate.html">announced her bid</a> to unseat Texas Sen. John Cornyn in 2020. O'Rourke said his supporters "have helped Texas transition from a state that was a non-voting state to a state that is going to be fully represented in every state-wide and every national election, including the election for Senate where MJ Hegar, or whoever the nominee is, I'm convinced will be successful against John Cornyn."He added, "But also in the presidential election, where those 38 Electoral College votes are now unlocked and which I think our campaign, perhaps more than any other, can lay claim to being able to win."Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beto-orourke-held-running-rally-nyc-pride-month-lgbtq-2019-6">Beto O'Rourke held a 'running rally' through Manhattan, and we had to bike to keep up</a> But a <a href="https://poll.qu.edu/texas/release-detail?ReleaseID=2625">recent Quinnipiac University poll</a> found that a whopping 60% of Texas Democrats want O'Rourke to end his presidential bid and instead run for Senate against Cornyn. Just 27% said they want O'Rourke to continue his presidential campaign. O'Rourke made the comments at <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beto-orourke-held-running-rally-nyc-pride-month-lgbtq-2019-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an early morning "running rally"</a> on Wednesday in New York City. O'Rourke led about 50 supporters and fellow joggers up the Hudson River greenway on Manhattan's West side as part of his Pride month campaigning.Wednesday marked the three-year anniversary of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/deadliest-shootings-in-us-history-orlando-nightclub-2016-6">the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida</a> - a fact O'Rourke noted multiple times throughout the morning. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fox-news-opinion-programs-white-supremacist-rhetoric-great-replacement-2019-5">Fox News pundits are using white supremacist language tied to 'The Great Replacement' conspiracy theory</a></h3> <div> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/A9dsnt1z-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script> </div> </div>

Beto O'Rourke says he doesn't regret passing on 2020 Senate run because he's convinced another Democrat will win

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6357722" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="silicon-valley">Silicon Valley</keyword> billionaires like Facebook cofounder Dustin Moskovitz and ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt have poured millions into a Democratic super PAC that is behind a slew of anti-Trump TV ads in the home stretch to Election Day, per a Recode report.</li><li>The super PAC is spending more than $100 million on TV ads in support of Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden, an amount that surpasses any other group's spending.</li><li>The report comes as the <keyword id="6358815" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tech">tech</keyword> world continues to fight off Republicans' claims that the industry harbors an anti-conservative bias on online platforms.</li><li>It also comes after reports that employees from Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and others have collectively donated $4.8 million to Biden since 2019 — nearly 20 times as much as they have given to Trump.</li></ul>Some of Silicon Valley's biggest tech leaders have poured millions of dollars into a secretive Democratic super PAC that has booked a series of television ads speaking out against President Donald Trump in the lead-up to the election, according to a Tuesday report from <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/10/20/21523492/future-forward-super-pac-dustin-moskovitz-silicon-valley">Recode's Teddy Schleifer.</a>Per the outlet, Dustin Moskovitz, a cofounder of both Facebook and Asana, has donated at least $22 million, Twilio founder Jeff Lawson and his wife have donated $6 million, and ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt gave $750,000 to the super PAC Future Forward since September. The funds raised equal to $66 million in the 45-day period between Sept 1 and Oct 15, a sum that Future Forward plans to report to the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday, according to Recode.Much of that has gone to a series of anti-Trump television ads to run from Sept 29 through Election Day, representing the largest amount of ad spending funds put toward support of Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden.Future Forward has reportedly been both testing and creating ads over the course of the year, developing over 100 different spots with other Democratic groups. Per the report, only a dozen of them have aired so far. But that changed in September — the super PAC aired or booked over $100 million of television ads between Sept 29 and Nov 3, according to the media-tracking firm Advertising Analytics as Recode reports. The TV ad spending represents four times as much outside spending shelled out for pro-Biden messaging as the second closest Democratic group, Independence USA.According to the report, Moskovitz did his fair share of research to determine how to most effectively use ads in the lead-up to the election. He reportedly concluded that running ads right before Election Day would be best for optimizing the ads' impact.The super PAC and other Democratic entities have also been working to elect Texas Democrat MJ Hegar to the US Senate, according to Recode.Future Forward was founded in 2018 and says its mission is to "help rebuild America's middle class" and the nation's democracy, according to its <a href="https://www.futureforwardusa.org/">website.</a> According to the report, the group has purposefully stayed under the radar.The news comes as what has been called one of the most important presidential elections in modern US history looms just weeks away.Tech leaders aren't the only ones reported to be funding a Biden win. A Wired report earlier this month found that employees at Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google's parent company Alphabet, Microsoft, and Oracle <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/silicon-valley-employees-donated-48-million-biden-2020-10">have poured $4.8 million into support for Biden</a> to win since 2019. That's 20 times as much as tech workers have donated to President Trump.It's no secret that Silicon Valley has long leaned left, though <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-supports-oracle-buy-of-tiktok-larry-ellison-donor-2020-8">some tech execs</a> have come out in support of President Trump. But the Recode report comes as tech firms work to push back against Republicans' long-held but disproven theory that they actively work against conservatives on their platforms and limit the reach of right-leaning content. The right's perception of anti-conservative bias on tech platforms reportedly prompted Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-mark-zuckerberg-throttled-traffic-to-progressive-news-sites-wsj-2020-10">green-light an algorithm that would limit traffic</a> to left-leaning news publications.And if anything, conservative content prospers on the site. A Facebook executive recently told <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/26/facebook-conservatives-2020-421146">Politico</a> that's because "right-wing populism is always more engaging," since the platform's algorithm is designed to promote posts that it thinks people will find most captivating. <h3><a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/10/20/21523492/future-forward-super-pac-dustin-moskovitz-silicon-valley">You can read the full report on Recode here.</a></h3>

Silicon Valley's biggest billionaires have reportedly poured millions into a super PAC-run series of anti-Trump TV ads ahead of Election Day

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c38c2f1bd77300302181063-1280/ap19003764425891.jpg" border="0" alt="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi poses during a ceremonial swearing-in with Rep. Henry Cuellar on January 3." data-mce-source="Cliff Owen/AP" data-mce-caption="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi poses during a ceremonial swearing-in with Rep. Henry Cuellar on January 3." />Cliff Owen/APHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi poses during a ceremonial swearing-in with Rep. Henry Cuellar on January 3.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>A progressive group allied with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced on Friday that it will target Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas for a primary challenge in 2020. </li><li>Cuellar is one of the most conservative Democrats in the House, despite representing a deep blue district. </li><li>The Texan is the progressive left's first target in a controversial national effort to target incumbent Democrats in safe blue districts. </li></ul>Justice Democrats, the progressive group that helped Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez win her insurgent primary bid, announced on Friday that it will recruit a 2020 primary challenger to Rep. Henry Cuellar, a conservative Democrat who represents a deep blue South Texas district. Progressives argue that Cuellar is the ideal Democrat to challenge: he's one of the most conservative Democrats in the House, his South Texas district is safely blue, and he's even allied himself with Republicans in recent years. Last year, Cuellar controversially <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2018/09/11/democrat-henry-cuellar-fundraising-republican-john-carter/">fundraised for GOP Rep. John Carter</a>, a fellow Texan, in his competitive race against Democrat MJ Hegar. The activists want to replicate the 2018 successes of Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Ayanna Pressley - both of whom ousted popular longtime incumbents in their deeply Democratic districts. "We're trying to build on our learnings and successes from AOC's primary victory against Joe Crowley which was to start early on recruitment and campaigning," Waleed Shahid, Justice Democrats' communications director told INSIDER, using Ocasio-Cortez's nickname, AOC. "We also want to show Democrats and progressives that we need a mission-driven caucus in Congress of people just like AOC who will take risks and fight back just like she does."Cuellar has held his seat since 2005 - and hasn't faced a competitive primary in 12 years. He insists he maintains a strong hold on his seat. "They came after me twice, and I beat 'em," Cuellar <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-tea-party-of-the-left-liberal-activists-learn-tough-lessons-in-quest-to-purify-democratic-party/2018/03/24/890075fa-2f42-11e8-8688-e053ba58f1e4_story.html?utm_term=.34150a4263e3">told the Washington Post</a> last year. "LBJ used to say: What's the difference between a cannibal and a liberal Democrat? Cannibals don't eat their own."Liberal critics point to Cuellar's conservative legislative record - he's voted with President Donald Trump <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/congress-trump-score/house/">65% of the time</a> - as reason enough to oust him. His district, which stretches from parts of San Antonio to the US-Mexico border, went for Hillary Clinton in 2016 by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/election-results/texas-28th-congressional-district/?utm_term=.53e2ab7ac3bb">nearly 20 points</a>. Progressives have long been critical of Cuellar's work in Congress. "Henry Cuellar is a f--king disgrace, a vile misogynist and a Trumpist. The sooner he is gone, the sooner the Democratic Party can embrace its progressive future," Sean McElwee, a progressive activist and founder of Data for Progress, told INSIDER. An array of progressive activists and groups expressed support for the initiative on Friday."Cuellar had a 43 percent score from us on civil rights and civil liberties. Much room for improvement!" <a href="https://twitter.com/fshakir/status/1083749787630010369">tweeted</a> American Civil Liberties Union political director Faiz Shakir, citing the organization's <a href="https://www.aclu.org/other/legislative-scorecard-2018">legislative scorecard</a>. Shahid said the group's next steps involve building relationships with organizers and activists on the ground in Texas to begin the candidate recruitment process. But Justice Democrats will find little public solidarity with their effort among members of Congress.The push to move the party left has upset many Democrats who want the caucus to remain focused on their Republican opponents. Even some of the House's most progressive lawmakers, including Rep. Ro Khanna - a California Democrat endorsed by the group and the only member of Congress to support Ocasio-Cortez's primary bid - won't sign on to the effort. "I believe that you should have competitive elections and that everyone in this country has a right to run, but, personally, I would like to see our focus on turning Texas blue, winning states in the Midwest, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, making sure we expand our majority," Khanna told INSIDER in an interview last month. Ocasio-Cortez has also declined to publicly declare support for the effort to oust Cuellar. "We're not active in their process," said Ocasio-Cortez's press secretary, Corbin Trent, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/left-wing-group-creates-fund-to-oust-texas-democrat/2019/01/11/eceb3d94-15aa-11e9-90a8-136fa44b80ba_story.html?utm_term=.8cacdecfdb4e">told the Post</a>. "We're focused on getting up and going."But on a November call with Justice Democrats and other activists, Ocasio-Cortez and some of her top aides encouraged fellow progressives to run against incumbents. "We've got to primary folks," said Saikat Chakrabarti, the former executive director of Justice Democrats and now Ocasio-Cortez's chief of staff. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/msnbc-host-chris-hayes-president-trump-china-trade-war-2018-12">MSNBC host Chris Hayes thinks President Trump's stance on China is 'not at all crazy'</a></h3> <div> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/ib9Awhnr-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script> </div> </div>

Progressive group allied with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announces its first Democratic primary target, Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Democrats' chances of taking back the US <keyword id="6355284" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="senate">Senate</keyword>, in Republican hands since 2015, now look slim. </li><li>Their path to the majority now hinges on winning two runoff elections in Georgia on January 5, 2021. </li><li>Democrats flipped seats in Colorado and Arizona, but failed to make gains in Alaska, Iowa, Montana, Maine, North Carolina, and Texas.</li><li>As of November 11, Decision Desk HQ projects Republicans control 50 seats and Democrats, 48.</li><li>The Senate is made up of 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats, and two Independents who caucus with Democrats, meaning Democrats needed to win back four to five seats.</li><li>Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the presidential election, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-wins-general-election-against-donald-trump-2020-11">Insider and Decision Desk HQ projected on November 6</a>.</li></ul>President-elect <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-wins-general-election-against-donald-trump-2020-11">Joe Biden won the 2020 election</a> thanks to a big victory in Pennsylvania, Insider and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-ddhq-and-business-insider-called-the-election-for-biden-2020-11">Decision Desk HQ</a> projected on November 6.But Democrats' chances of regaining the majority in the Senate — held by the GOP for the past five years — now hinge on a pair of races in Georgia. In order to resume control of the Senate, Democrats must win two runoff elections in the state on January 5, 2021.As of November 11, Republicans control 50 Senate seats, and Democrats control 48, according to Insider and Decision Desk HQ projections. Democrats have retained Sen. Gary Peters' seat in Michigan and flipped the Senate seat in Colorado currently held by Republican Cory Gardner. Democrat Mark Kelly has also won the special election in Arizona for the late Sen. John McCain's seat, defeating Sen. Martha McSally. He will serve the rest of McCain's term until 2022. But Democrats failed to oust incumbents in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Montana, North Carolina, and Texas, and lost Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama to the Republicans.With the odds of Democrats winning an outright majority in the chamber looking increasingly slim, their most likely path to reach a 50-vote tie with Republicans is to flip both Senate seats in Georgia. Then, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who would preside over the Senate, could cast a tie-breaker vote.<h2>Both Georgia Senate races go to January 2021 runoffs</h2>According to Georgia state law, an election goes to a runoff between the top two vote-getters, if neither candidate wins over 50% of the vote. This year, none of the candidates received a majority in the regularly-scheduled Senate election between first-term Republican David Perdue and Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff. The same thing happened in a special jungle election for Georgia's other Senate seat, which is currently held by Republican appointee Kelly Loeffler. Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Loeffler to her Senate seat in late 2019 to replace Sen. Jonny Isakson.The wealthy businesswoman competed with a slew of other candidates on November 3, and will now face off against Democratic Pastor Raphael Warnock to serve out the rest of Isakson's term until 2022, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kelly-loeffler-vs-doug-collins-georgia-senate-election-polls-fundraising-2020-8">Decision Desk HQ projected.</a>Set to take place on the first Tuesday in January, the Georgia runoff elections will determine control of the Senate for years to come and are likely to draw millions in outside spending. The presidential race in Georgia between President Donald Trump and Biden is currently too close to call, with Biden ahead of Trump <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/2020-election-results">as of November 10</a>.Here are some highlights of the results:<h2>Sen. Dan Sullivan kept his seat in Alaska</h2>Sullivan fended off a challenge from Independent candidate Al Gross, who would have caucused with Democrats.<h2>Sen. Gary Peters won reelection in Michigan</h2>Peters defeated Republican challenger John James, who also unsuccessfully ran against Michigan's senior Senator Debbie Stabenow to keep Democratic hopes in the Senate alive. <h2>Susan Collins held on to her longtime seat in Maine</h2>Following state House Speaker Sara Gideon's <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesArkin/status/1324051536620720132?s=20">concession</a>, Collins is projected to have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/maine-senate-race-susan-collins-vs-sara-gideon-fundraising-polls-2020-8">won reelection for a fifth term</a>, the closest election of her entire career. <h2>Former Montana Gov. Steve Bullock failed to unseat Republican incumbent Steve Daines</h2>Bullock forced a highly competitive race in Montana — a reliably red state at the presidential level — but <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/steve-bullock-vs-steve-daines-montana-election-polls-fundraising-2020-8">could not overtake Daines</a> for the Senate seat.<h2>Joni Ernst fended off Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield in Iowa</h2>Ernst, an Army veteran, was first elected to the Senate in 2014 as part of a GOP wave. She faced a much tougher race against Democratic nominee Greenfield to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joni-ernst-vs-theresa-greenfield-election-polls-fundraising-2020-7">secure a second term</a>.<h2>Trump ally Lindsey Graham held on despite a tough race </h2>Democrat Jaime Harrison put up a formidable fight in South Carolina, narrowly outpacing Graham in fundraising and tying polls leading up to the election. But as one of the most high-profile Republican Senators in the chamber, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lindsey-graham-vs-jaime-harrison-south-carolina-senate-polls-fundraising-2020">Graham managed to pull out the win</a> in this historically Republican state.<h2>Republican incumbent John Cornyn won in a close call </h2>Cornyn was first elected in 2002 and has served in a number of positions in Senate leadership on behalf of a historically deep-red state. He <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/john-cornyn-vs-mj-hegar-texas-senate-election-fundraising-polls-2020">secured a fourth term in the Senate</a> by a narrow margin against Democratic challenger MJ Hegar.<h2>Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper defeated Republican Cory Gardner in Colorado</h2>Hickenlooper, a former two-term governor and Denver mayor, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colorado-senate-cory-gardner-vs-john-hickenlooper-polls-fundraising-2020-8">unseated Gardner in Democrats' first flip</a> of a Senate seat and the only one to be called on election night. <h2>Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell defeated Democrat Amy McGrath in Kentucky</h2>McConnell is one of the most high-profile politicians in the country and one of the most reviled among Democrats, helping McGrath raise an eye-popping $90 million for her campaign. However, despite McConnell's unpopularity among Democrats and her own strong fundraising, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mitch-mcconnell-vs-amy-mcgrath-kentucky-senate-election-2020">McGrath was unable to topple the majority leader</a>, who has held his Senate seat since 1986.Democrats taking back the Senate majority would be a significant achievement toward delivering on Biden's ambitious policy goals.For Republicans, controlling the chamber for the past five years has allowed the party to confirm hundreds of conservative judges, including many younger ones, to lifetime appointments on the federal judiciary.<h2>Here are the key Senate races of 2020</h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alabama-senate-race-doug-jones-vs-tommy-tuberville-polls-fundraising-2020-8">Alabama Senate:</a> Democratic Sen. Doug Jones, who won a 2017 special election in a major upset, lost in his tough reelection fight against former college football coach Tommy Tuberville.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alaska-us-senate-election-preview-dan-sullivan-vs-al-gross-2020-9"></a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alaska-us-senate-election-preview-dan-sullivan-vs-al-gross-2020-9">Alaska Senate:</a> First-term Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan is facing a more competitive than expected reelection challenge from Al Gross, an Independent who would caucus with Democrats if elected.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/arizona-senate-race-martha-mcsally-vs-mark-kelly-polls-fundraising-2020-8">Arizona Senate special</a>: Republican Martha McSally, who was appointed to the seat in late 2018, lost in a competitive special election against Democrat Mark Kelly, a former astronaut, and gun-violence-prevention advocate. This was her second Senate election loss in two years. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/arkansas-senate-election-2020-live-vote-counts-results-2020">Arkansas Senate</a>: First-term Republican Sen. Tom Cotton was elected to a second term without any Democratic opposition.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colorado-senate-cory-gardner-vs-john-hickenlooper-polls-fundraising-2020-8">Colorado Senate</a>: Republican Cory Gardner lost his bid for a second term against former two-term Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper. Colorado has trended from a purple state to a reliably Democratic one in recent years, making this seat one of the most likely to flip.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/delaware-senate-election-2020-live-vote-counts-results-2020">Delaware Senate</a>: Democrat Chris Coons defeated Republican challenger Lauren Witzke.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/georgia-senate-race-david-perdue-vs-jon-ossoff-polls-fundraising-2020-8">Georgia Senate, regular</a>: Republican David Perdue is headed to a January 5, 2021 runoff to earn a second term against Democrat Jon Ossoff, who is mounting a formidable campaign in a state trending toward Democrats.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kelly-loeffler-vs-doug-collins-georgia-senate-election-polls-fundraising-2020-8">Georgia Senate, special</a>: Republican Kelly Loeffler was appointed to replace Sen. Jonny Isakson, who retired in late 2019 because of health concerns. She ran in a jungle special election with candidates of all parties on the ballot and will face Democrat Raphael Warnock also in a January 5, 2021 runoff. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/idaho-senate-election-2020-live-vote-counts-results-2020">Idaho Senate:</a> Republican Sen. Jim Risch won a third term against Democratic challenger Paulette Jordan.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/illinois-us-senate-preview-dick-durbin-vs-mark-curran-2020-9">Illinois Senate</a>: Democrat Dick Durbin won a fifth term against Republican Mark Curran.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joni-ernst-vs-theresa-greenfield-election-polls-fundraising-2020-7">Iowa Senate</a>: First-term Republican Sen. Joni Ernst won her competitive fight for a second term against Democrat Theresa Greenfield.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/roger-marshall-vs-barbara-boiler-kansas-senate-race-polls-fundraising-2020-8">Kansas Senate</a>: Republican Rep. Roger Marshall defeated Democratic state Sen. Barbara Bollier for the open Kansas Senate seat vacated by retiring Sen. Pat Roberts.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mitch-mcconnell-vs-amy-mcgrath-kentucky-senate-election-2020">Kentucky Senate:</a> Democrat Amy McGrath lost her bid to challenge Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in Kentucky, a race that attracted millions in outside spending but stayed in Republican hands.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/louisiana-senate-election-2020-live-vote-counts-results-2020">Louisiana Senate:</a> First-term Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy won a second term against a bevy of challengers in both parties.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/maine-senate-race-susan-collins-vs-sara-gideon-fundraising-polls-2020-8">Maine Senate</a>: Longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins won her tough reelection fight against Democrat Sara Gideon, the speaker of the Maine House of Representatives.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/massachusetts-senate-election-2020-live-vote-counts-results-2020">Massachusetts Senate</a>: First-term Democratic Sen. Ed Markey won a second term against Republican Kevin O'Connor.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gary-peters-vs-john-james-michigan-senate-polls-fundraising-2020-8">Michigan Senate</a>: First-term Democratic Sen. Gary Peters won a second term, defeating Republican John James in a competitive race. Peters, along with Jones, is one of just two Democratic senators who ran for reelection in a state won by Trump in 2016.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mississippi-senate-election-2020-live-vote-counts-results-2020">Mississippi Senate</a>: First-term Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith defeated Democrat Mike Espy in a rematch of the 2018 special runoff election that she won by 7.2 percentage points.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/steve-bullock-vs-steve-daines-montana-election-polls-fundraising-2020-8">Montana Senate</a>: First-term Republican Steve Daines staved off a tough challenge for a second term from former Montana attorney general and two-term Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nebraska-senate-election-2020-live-vote-counts-results-2020">Nebraska Senate:</a> First-term Republican Sen. Ben Sasse defended his seat against Democratic challenger Chris Janicek.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-jersey-senate-election-2020-live-vote-counts-results-2020-10">New Jersey Senate</a>: Former Democratic presidential candidate and current Sen. Cory Booker won a third term against political newcomer Rik Mehta.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/thom-tillis-vs-cal-cunningham-north-carolina-election-polls-fundraising-2020-7">North Carolina Senate</a>: First-term Republican Sen. Thom Tillis faced off against former state Sen. Cal Cunningham and was reelected in one of the most competitive and expensive Senate races in the country. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oklahoma-senate-election-2020-live-vote-counts-results-2020">Oklahoma Senate:</a> Longtime Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe defended his seat against Democrat Abby Broyles.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oregon-senate-election-2020-live-vote-counts-results-2020">Oregon Senate</a>: Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley won a third term in the Senate against Jo Rae Perkins.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rhode-island-senate-election-2020-live-vote-counts-results-2020">Rhode Island Senate</a>: Longtime Democratic Sen. Jack Reed defended his seat against challenger Allen Waters.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lindsey-graham-vs-jaime-harrison-south-carolina-senate-polls-fundraising-2020">South Carolina Senate</a>: Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham won one of the most difficult reelection battles of his political career against fundraising juggernaut Democrat Jaime Harrison.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/south-dakota-senate-election-2020-live-vote-counts-results-2020">South Dakota Senate:</a> First-term Republican Sen. Mike Rounds won reelection against Democrat Dan Ahlers.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tennessee-us-senate-preview-bill-hagerty-vs-marquita-bradshaw-2020-9">Tennessee Senate:</a> Republican Bill Hagerty defeated Democrat Marquita Bradshaw after incumbent Sen. Lamar Alexander did not run for reelection.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virginia-senate-election-2020-live-vote-counts-results-2020">Virginia Senate:</a> Democratic Sen. Mark Warner won a third term against Daniel Gade. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/west-virginia-senate-election-2020-live-vote-counts-results-2020-10">West Virginia Senate:</a> Republican Shelley Moore-Capito won reelection against Democrat Paula Jean Swearengin. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wyoming-senate-election-2020-live-vote-counts-results-2020">Wyoming Senate:</a> Republican Cynthia Lummis defeated Democrat Merav Ben-David for the seat held by GOP Sen. Mike Enzi, did not run for reelection.</li></ul>

You Searched For "mj hegar" and got 9 results

A GOP attack ad focuses on a Democratic candidate's arm tattoos. They cover scars from when the Taliban shot down her helicopter.

David Choi

Texas Sen. John Cornyn has defeated Democrat challenger MJ Hegar in her bid for US Senate

Grace Panetta

MJ Hegar clinches the Democratic nomination to face GOP Sen. John Cornyn in Texas

Grace Panetta,Oma Seddiq

LIVE UPDATES: Follow the results of the Democratic primary for US Senate in Texas

Grace Panetta

A striking new poll out of Texas shows Biden tied with Trump in a state that's been a GOP mainstay since 1976

Mia Jankowicz

Beto O'Rourke says he doesn't regret passing on 2020 Senate run because he's convinced another Democrat will win

Eliza Relman

Silicon Valley's biggest billionaires have reportedly poured millions into a super PAC-run series of anti-Trump TV ads ahead of Election Day

Katie Canales

Progressive group allied with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announces its first Democratic primary target, Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar

Eliza Relman

LIVE RESULTS: Republicans hold onto Alaska's Senate seat so Democrats' hopes to control the chamber hinge on Georgia runoffs

Grace Panetta