Former astronaut Terry Virts launches Democratic bid for U.S. Senate in Texas

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WASHINGTON — Terry Virts, a former astronaut and International Space Station commander, announced Monday he is running for the U.S. Senate in Texas as a Democrat.

With his campaign launch, Virts joins former flight attendant Mike Swanson in what is likely to be a crowded primary field vying for the seat currently held by Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn.

In a video announcing his candidacy, Virts, 57, drew on his background as an astronaut while distancing himself from the Democratic establishment. “After every mission, we debrief, no excuses, just the truth,” he said. “After the 2024 election disaster, Washington Democratic leadership skipped the debrief.”

He went on to accuse national party leaders of clinging to “the same old bankrupt ideas that they, and not voters, should pick our candidates and that we should run the same old, tired playbook again, hoping for a different outcome.”

Virts, clad in an astronaut jumpsuit and describing himself as a “common-sense Democrat,” highlighted his background in the Air Force, noting that he joined the military at 17 and went on to fly combat missions over Iraq. After he retired from NASA, Virts became a public speaker, delivering lectures, appearing on podcasts, working as an executive coach and authoring several children’s books.

In the launch video, Virts painted the Republican Party as dishonest, adding, “Trump’s chaos must be stopped. The corruption is overwhelming.”

The former astronaut took a shot at Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has launched a Republican bid for the Senate. But he did not mention Cornyn, the incumbent GOP senator running for a fifth term and polling well behind Paxton.

Nick Puglia, a spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee — the Senate GOP's campaign arm — responded to Virts' entry by saying that Democrats are "wildly out-of-touch with the needs of Texas families, and Republicans will fight to defeat whoever they nominate." Puglia also made clear that the NRSC supports Cornyn's candidacy amid his primary battle with Paxton.

Other Democrats — including former U.S. Reps. Colin Allred and Beto O’Rourke, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro and state Rep. James Talarico — are eyeing their own runs for the seat. None have formally announced their candidacy.

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