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Harley Central to Texas Dem's Failed Senate Campaign Ads Ends Up on eBay

MJ for Texas ad / YouTube screenshot
December 1, 2020

Failed Democratic Senate candidate M.J. Hegar is not interested in riding her Harley-Davidson Sportster now that she does not have campaign commercials to film.

The 2016 Harley-Davidson Iron 883 featured prominently in Hegar's Senate campaign but was listed on eBay by her husband Sunday with a note touting its "very low miles," an indication that the bike's primary use was as a campaign prop. Hegar on Sunday tweeted that the motorcycle is the "perfect Christmas present for the Harley fan/political junkie in your life."

In her bid to unseat incumbent senator John Cornyn (R.), Hegar projected herself as a battle-hardened Air Force veteran and "tough" outsider to Washington politics, and the iconic Harley was central to that persona. Her advertisements showcased her barreling down open country roads and suburban streets on the motorcycle, which was fated to go up for auction online the month Hegar lost.

Cornyn defeated Hegar by a margin of more than 7 percentage points, despite a last-minute spending surge from deep-pocketed, out-of-state donors. In his victory speech, he described their efforts as a "long shot."

Hegar entered politics in 2018 in an effort to unseat Rep. John Carter (R., Texas) but was unsuccessful.

Published under: Democrats , M.J. Hegar