Dallas Democrat Royce West Launches Senate Campaign Against Republican Incumbent John Cornyn

This is a developing story and will be updated throughout the day.Royce West on Monday launched his campaign for Senate, joining a crowded field of Democrats looking to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn.West, who has served in the Texas Senate since 1993, was boosted by nearly 1,000 supporters at the CWA union hall in Dallas, including U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson and former U.S. Trade Rep. Ron Kirk."It's going to be a long road," he said, nodding to a primary fight and potential general election.He said of his style: "I will be a LBJ-type senator who sits down and gets the job done."West began his remarks blasting President Donald Trump for the nation's divide."It's more divided today than I've ever seen," he said. "The tone starts at the top.."The rally was filled with prominent Texas Democrats.Kirk, the former Dallas mayor, lost a Senate race to Cornyn in 2002, when both were vying to replace Republican Phil Gramm.He said that Texas needed a senator with courage who would put Texans first. He praised West's work in the Texas Senate on higher education, including leading the effort to land a University of North Texas campus in southern Dallas."Maybe it's time to go West," he said, as the crowd applauded.  Continue reading...