Gold Star Father Khan Endorses Candidate In Round Rock Race

ROUND ROCK, TX — Gold Star father Khizr Khan — who rose to national prominence in his damning critique of Donald Trump during the Democratic National Convention in 2016 — has endorsed Mary "MJ" Hegar in the race for Texas 31st Congressional District.

Campaign endorsements from constituents don't always make headlines. But Khan's nod carries particular premium given his prominent platform from which he criticized Trump, and coming at a time of historical polling numbers for the president's performance. The endorsement also comes at a time of a so-called "blue wave" showcasing Democratic gains — most recently seen in Pennsylvania where Conor Lamb, a Democrat and former Marine scored an improbable upset over his Republican challenger in a special House election amid a territory Trump won by 20 points in the presidential race.

Hegar herself is a decorated combat veteran, not unlike Khan's son who died defending the U.S. on the battlefield.

“MJ Hegar has dedicated her life to serving our country," Khan said. "She knows firsthand the struggles our men and women in uniform and their families go through and is committed to keeping our promises to them. I am proud to endorse MJ Hegar in her run for Congress.”

Hegar reacted to the endorsement, commenting on his personal attributes and grace during the din of the hotly contested presidential race won by Hillary Clinton in the popular vote that later was awarded to Trump by virtue of the Electoral College.

“Khizr Khan is a man of courage who is not afraid to stand up for what’s right," Hegar said. "His strength and work to make sure our men and women in uniform and their families are taken care of is an inspiration. There is no question that our country can do better when it comes to providing for our veterans and active duty service members. I will work to restore our commitment to the men and women who protect our country.”

In the week before the TX-31 Democratic primary, Khan came to MJ’s defense when a political rival attacked her military service. At the time, Khan said: “Like Donald Trump’s comments about my son, this was a baseless attack against MJ’s service to our country.”

In February, Kent Lester made disparaging comments to the Austin American-Statesman about her service to the United States. "I don't think she has an advantage," Lester said of Hegar's record amid a four-way race for the Democratic nomination toward unseating U.S. Rep. John Carter, a Round Rock Republican first elected in 2002. “The Army and Air Force are different. In the Army you lead units; in her case, she’s never been in charge. She wasn’t even in charge of the helicopter when it went down — she was the co-pilot.”

Hegar pointed to her combat experience in response to Lester's comments: “This is a baseless and sexist attack against my service to our country and is disrespectful to those who have put their lives on the line to protect our freedom. My leadership experience and military record speak for themselves, which is why I was awarded the Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor.”

Jennings served on the frontlines as a helicopter pilot in the Air Force and Air National Guard. In 2009, her helicopter was shot down by enemy fire and, despite being wounded, she helped save the lives of her crew. For her actions, MJ earned a Purple Heart and the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor.

After her service in Afghanistan, she came home to Texas and worked with the Pentagon and advocacy groups to end the ban on women serving in combat roles. The mother of two young boys, Hegar is running for Congress to bring change to Washington and continue fighting to protect Texas families.

>>> Gold Star father Khizr Khan speaks during a news conference in front of the Capitol Feb. 1, 2017, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)