With Beto O'Rourke Likely Running for President, Can John Cornyn Rest Easy in Re-election Bid?

For months Sen. John Cornyn has been warning his Republican base that El Paso Democrat Beto O'Rourke was coming for him, a threat not only to his re-election, but to statewide dominance in Texas.The incumbent senator used O'Rourke for various fundraising pitches, intending to use that money for a statewide organization that would match O'Rourke's stout field organization. Cornyn may have caught a break.O'Rourke is poised to run for president instead of challenging for Senate next year, a move that seemingly spares Cornyn from Texas Democrats' most formidable threat. Still, there's a security alert for the longtime senator.Though O'Rourke would have been a tough opponent, Cornyn now has to prepare for several unknowns. And he won't have the Texas GOP's newest boogeyman to scare Republicans into giving money and remaining energized against Democrats who have been waiting since Election Night 2016 for a rematch against President Donald Trump.  Continue reading...