Royce West campaign accuses John Cornyn staff of using racist stereotype to describe rival
State Sen. Royce West’s campaign is calling out U.S. Sen. John Cornyn’s re-election campaign for calling West “Restful Royce,” saying the words “play in to longtime racial stereotypes that African Americans are lazy.”
“Nearly every time John Cornyn speaks, you hear the dog whistle,” said Vince Leibowitz, spokesman for West’s Senate campaign. “This is 2020, not 1920, and there is no place in American political discourse for stereotypes that paint African Americans as lazy, stereotypes against Asian Americans, or against Hispanic Americans.”
West, a Dallas Democrat, faces fellow Democrat M.J. Hegar in a July 14 runoff election. Cornyn, a Republican, is seeking a fourth term.
Cornyn’s campaign office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
But Cornyn campaign press secretary Krista Piferrer told the Dallas Morning News the phrase was not meant to refer to West’s race.
“‘Restful’ is a pseudonym for ‘quiet,’ ‘calm,’ ‘tranquil’ and ‘leisurely’ — all words that describe the pathetic campaign that West has been running; one that lacks any sort of policy depth, financial backing or inkling of grass-roots support,” Piferrer told the Morning News.
“However, lest we continue to ‘offend’ Royce, and considering his defense of Wendy Davis’ radical positions on abortion and his radical desire to eliminate the oil and gas industry, we will now start calling him Radical Royce. You’re welcome.”
West’s campaign on Wednesday released a video asking Cornyn what he truly meant to say about West.
This story was originally published May 20, 2020 at 5:36 PM.
