Recommendations for Democratic runoffs: Royce West for Senate, Kim Olson for Congress
It’s been not quite four months since Texas Democrats voted in their primaries. But the runoffs for the few unresolved races take place in a changed world.
In early March, the coronavirus hadn’t yet shut America down. The economy was still booming. Race and police violence weren’t front of mind.
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Members of the Editorial Board, which serves as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s institutional voice, decide candidates and positions to recommend to voters. The members of the board are: Cynthia M. Allen, columnist; Steve Coffman, editor and president; Bud Kennedy, columnist; Ryan J. Rusak, opinion editor; and Nicole Russell, opinion writer.
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The Editorial Board interviews candidates, asking about positions on issues, experience and qualifications, and how they would approach holding the office for which they are running. Board members do additional research on candidates’ backgrounds and the issues at hand. After that, members discuss the candidates and generally aim to arrive at a consensus, though not necessarily unanimity. All members contribute observations and ideas, so the resulting editorials represent the board’s view, not a particular writer.
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Two of the primary contests to be resolved as early voting gets under way this week — one statewide, one local to Dallas-Fort Worth — give the party a chance to capitalize on its newfound competitiveness. To have their best chance in each race, Democrats need to offer candidates with experience and bipartisan credibility.
In the U.S. Senate race, that’s state Sen. Royce West of Dallas. In the 24th Congressional District, which sprawls from Northeast Tarrant County to Addison, it’s retired Air Force Col. Kim Olson.
West vs. Hegar
West, a Dallas lawyer, finished second in the primary behind Air Force veteran and Purple Heart recipient MJ Hegar of Round Rock. The front-runner is accomplished and brings a fighting spirit and popular perspective to the race.
But Democrats hope to unseat a three-term incumbent, Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Their best bet is to offer a candidate with legislative experience. West has logged 27 years in Austin, most of that when the state has been under Republican control.
In that time, West has carried significant legislation because he understands how to work in a bipartisan manner and how to build on victories and come back for more. One such achievement that looms large now is West’s successful legislation setting guidelines for body cameras for police.
Either West or Hegar will face a difficult task against Cornyn, who sometimes appears vulnerable in polls but always logs healthy margins on Election Day. Democrats hope that the presidential race is truly competitive in Texas and could cast a shadow on contests down the ballot. West would be best positioned to take advantage if they’re right.
OLSON VS. VALENZUELA
Similarly, in what’s anticipated to be one of the most competitive U.S. House races, Democrats are trying to flip a longtime Republican district as Rep. Kenny Marchant retires. Olson, a straight-talking former fighter pilot, is best poised to take on Republican nominee Beth Van Duyne, the former Irving mayor and Trump administration official.
Olson’s opponent, former Carrollton-Farmers Branch school trustee Candace Valenzuela, is a promising political up-and-comer. And the two have mostly matching positions on the issues.
But Olson’s experience as a trailblazer, one of America’s first female fighter pilots, gives her a better chance to win over enough swing voters and Republican women to capture the district. She has also served as a Weatherford school trustee and Dallas ISD administrator.
Her brand of straight talk will match up well with Van Duyne, a conservative firebrand. But Olson needs to be more cautious. In a recent online function, she remarked of possible riots: “Burn it to the ground, if that’s what it’s gonna take to fix our nation.” That kind of rhetoric is irresponsible and unacceptable from a potential member of Congress. And it could turn off swing voters, even those sympathetic to protests of police violence.
But so far, it’s not a pattern for Olson, and she remains the best choice for Democrats in a race political analysts around the nation will watch.