The 2020 United States Senate election in Texas was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member to the United States Senate to represent the State of Texas, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, elections to the United States Senate in other states, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn won a fourth term against Democratic nominee MJ Hegar by 9.6%.
Prior to the election, most news organizations projected this race as "Lean Republican", and was not expected to be as competitive as the contest for Texas's other Senate seat two years prior, when Republican incumbent Ted Cruz defeated Democrat Beto O'Rourke by a 2.6% margin. Nonetheless, John Cornyn won in what was his worst performance out of his four elections for the U.S. Senate, while MJ Hegar's 43.9% marked the highest vote share of any of Cornyn's Democratic challengers. Despite this being Cornyn's worst performance percentage-wise, he more than doubled his 2014 vote count and received what was then the most raw votes for a Republican U.S. Senate candidate in the history of the United States; this record was later surpassed by Steve Garvey in California in 2024.
Cornyn outperformed President Donald Trump in the state by about 4%, and was able to carry two counties won by Joe Biden (Tarrant and Williamson). While Cornyn did better than Trump in the Texas Triangle, contributing to his over performance, Hegar slightly outperformed Biden in the heavily Hispanic Rio Grande Valley, and was able to carry one Trump county (Zapata), though Hegar herself vastly underperformed previous Democratic margins in the region.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee John Cornyn, incumbent U.S. senator
Eliminated in the primary Virgil Bierschwale, U.S. Navy veteran, software developer, realtor John Anthony Castro, tax consultant, author, businessman, entrepreneur Dwayne Stovall, bridge construction contractor, businessman Mark Yancey, businessman, Attacca International Executive, former owner of the Dallas Wings basketball team
Declined Pat Fallon, state senator Dan Patrick, lieutenant governor of Texas (endorsed John Cornyn) Allen West, former U.S. representative for Florida's 22nd congressional district (running for state party chair)
Endorsements
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error VirgilBierschwale JohnAnthonyCastro JohnCornyn DwayneStovall MarkYancey UndecidedUniversity of Texas at Tyler/Dallas NewsUniversity of Texas at St Tyler/Dallas News January 21–30, 2020 445 (LV) ± 4.65% <1% 5%62% 3% 1% 30%Data for ProgressData for Progress January 16–21, 2020 687 (LV) – 1% 0%75% 2% 1% 22%
Results
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee MJ Hegar, retired United States Air Force major, businesswoman, author, teacher, and Democratic Party nominee for Texas's 31st congressional district in 2018
Eliminated in the runoff Royce West, state senator, former president pro tempore of the Texas Senate, attorney
Eliminated in the primary Chris Bell, former U.S. representative for Texas's 25th congressional district, nominee for governor of Texas in 2006, candidate for mayor of Houston in 2015 Michael Cooper, pastor and candidate for lieutenant governor of Texas in 2018 Amanda Edwards, Houston city councillor Jack Daniel Foster Jr., educator Annie "Mamá" Garcia, attorney, small-business owner, and non-profit founder Victor Hugo Harris, U.S. Army Reserve colonel Sema Hernandez, organizer for the Poor People's Campaign and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2018 D. R. Hunter, retiree Adrian Ocegueda, financial analyst and candidate for governor of Texas in 2018 Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, labor organizer and author
Withdrawn John B. Love III, Midland city councillor Hunter Darrel Reece David Selig
Declined Joaquín Castro, incumbent U.S. representative for Texas's 20th congressional district Julián Castro, former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, former mayor of San Antonio and former 2020 presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke, former U.S. representative for Texas's 16th congressional district, nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2018 and former 2020 presidential candidate
Endorsements
First round
Debates HostnetworkDateLink(s)ParticipantsMJHegarRoyceWestCristinaTzintzúnRamirezAnnieGarciaAmanda EdwardsChris BellSemaHernandezMichaelCooperVictor HugoHarrisAdrianOceguedaJack DanielFoster Jr.D. R.HunterKHOU-11February 18, 2020PresentPresentPresentPresentPresentPresentPresentPresentPresentPresentPresentAbsent
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error ColinAllred ChrisBell JoaquínCastro WendyDavis AmandaEdwards AnnieGarcia MJHegar SemaHernandez BetoO'Rourke CristinaRamirez RoyceWest Other UndecidedNBC News/MaristNBC News/Marist February 23–27, 2020 556 (LV) ± 5.3% – 5% – – 7% –16% 5% –9% 8% 5%34%YouGov/University of Texas/Texas TribuneYouGov/University of Texas/Texas Tribune January 31 – February 9, 2020 575 (LV) ± 4.09% – 7% – – 6% 5%22% 5% –9% 6%40% –University of Texas at Tyler/Dallas NewsUniversity of Texas at Tyler/Dallas News January 21–30, 2020 414 (LV) ± 4.8% – 5% – – 4%6%9% 4% – 4%6% 12%52%Data for ProgressData for Progress January 16–21, 2020 684 (LV) ± 6.5% – 8% – – 3% 4%18% 3% –13% 12% 4%34%Texas LyceumTexas Lyceum January 10–19, 2020 401 (LV) ± 4.89% – 5% – – 6% 4%11% 5% – 7%8% 35%19% December 9, 2019 Filing deadline, by which Allred had not declared his candidacy December 6, 2019 Annie Garcia announces her candidacy December 5, 2019 O'Rourke announces he will not run after end of presidential campaignBeacon Research (D)Beacon Research (D) November 9–21, 2019 408 (LV) – – 4% – – – – 6% 6%58% – 13% – –University of Texas at Tyler November 5–14, 2019 427 (RV) ± 4.7% – 7% – – 8% –9% – –9% 8% 7%52%University of Texas/Texas TribuneUniversity of Texas/Texas Tribune October 18–29, 2019 541 (RV) ± 4.21% – 3% – – 0% –12%6% – 4% 5% 13%57%University of Texas/Texas Tribune August 29 – September 8, 2019 550 (RV) ± 4.17% – 2% – – 2% –11% 3% – 3%5% 2%66%Ragnar ResearchRagnar Research September 3–5, 2019 600 (LV) ± 3.9% – 9% – –10% –12% – –10%10% –49% August 12, 2019 Ramirez announces her candidacyEmerson College/Dallas Morning NewsEmerson College/Dallas Morning News August 1–3, 2019 400 (LV) ± 4.9% – 6.6% – – – 5.2%9.9% – – – 7.9%19.1%51.1% July 22, 2019 West announces his candidacy and Davis announces a 2020 House bid, confirming she will not run for US Senate July 18, 2019 Edwards announces her candidacy July 3, 2019 Bell announces his candidacy May 1, 2019 Joaquín Castro announces he will not run April 23, 2019 Hegar announces her candidacyChange ResearchChange Research April 18–22, 2019 1,578 (LV) ± 2.5% 6% –56% – 1% – 4% – – – 3% 31% –Public Policy Polling (D) March 5–7, 2019 608 (LV) ± 4.0% – –42%19% – – 4% 2% – – – 4%29%
Results
Runoff
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error MJHegar RoyceWest Other UndecidedTargetPointTargetPoint July 8, 2020 830 (LV) ± 3.2%39% 35% – 26%Dallas Morning News/University of Texas at TylerDallas Morning News/University of Texas at TylerJune 29 – July 7, 2020829 (LV)± 3.4%35%22%11%32%Dallas Morning News/University of Texas at TylerDallas Morning News/University of Texas at Tyler April 18–27, 2020 447 (RV) ± 4.6%32% 16% 7%44%Data for Progress January 16–21, 2020 684 (LV) ± 6.5%48% 19% – 33%Ragnar Research September 3–5, 2019 600 (LV) ± 3.9%26% 24% –50%
Debates HostnetworkDateLink(s)ParticipantsMJHegarRoyceWestKXAN-TVJune 6, 2020PresentPresentKVUEJune 29, 2020PresentPresent
with MJ Hegar and Chris Bell Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error MJHegar ChrisBell UndecidedRagnar Research September 3–5, 2019 600 (LV) ± 3.9%28% 21%50%
with MJ Hegar and Amanda Edwards Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error MJHegar AmandaEdwards UndecidedData for Progress January 16–21, 2020 684 (LV) ± 6.5% 42% 16% 42%
with MJ Hegar and Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error MJHegar CristinaRamirez UndecidedData for Progress January 16–21, 2020 684 (LV) ± 6.5% 32%33%35%
Results
Other candidates
Libertarian Party
Candidates
Nominee Kerry McKennon, Libertarian nominee for lieutenant governor of Texas in 2018
Withdrawn Wes Benedict, former national executive director of the Libertarian Party Rhett Rosenquest Smith, Libertarian nominee for the Precinct 2 Bexar County justice of the peace in 2020 and Libertarian nominee for Texas's 11th congressional district in 2018
Green Party
Nominee David B. Collins, info tech trainer and Green nominee for U.S. Senate in 2012
People Over Politics Party
Withdrawn Cedric Jefferson
Human Rights Party
Withdrawn James Brumley
Independents
Declared Ricardo Turullols-Bonilla, retired teacher and candidate for Austin city council in 2014 (as a write-in candidate)
Withdrawn Tim Smith Arjun Srinivasan Krisjiannis Vittato, teacher and ex-filmmaker
General election Debate HostDate & timeLink(s)ParticipantsJohn Cornyn (R)MJ Hegar (D)Texas State History MuseumOctober 9, 20206:55pm MDT
Predictions SourceRankingAs ofDaily Kos October 30, 2020 The Cook Political Report October 29, 2020 Inside Elections October 28, 2020538November 2, 2020RCPOctober 23, 2020DDHQNovember 3, 2020PoliticoNovember 2, 2020 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 2, 2020EconomistNovember 2, 2020
Post-primary endorsements
Polling
Graphical summary
Aggregate polls Source of poll aggregationDates administeredDates updatedJohn Cornyn(R)MJ Hegar(D)Other/UndecidedMargin270 To Win270 To WinNovember 2, 2020November 3, 202048.6%43.4%8.0%Cornyn +5.2Real Clear PoliticsReal Clear PoliticsOctober 31, 2020November 3, 202049.0%42.5%8.5%Cornyn +6.5