WASHINGTON — As Democrat MJ Hegar gave a scare to Williamson County Republican U.S. Rep. John Carter in the 2018 elections, Kristen Bell — the actress known for “The Good Place,” “Veronica Mars” and “Frozen” — gushed about her on Twitter: “I would move to Texas just to vote for you.”

A year later, Bell has yet to make the move, but she remains one of the biggest donors to the former Air Force pilot’s budding campaign against Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in what may be one of the most closely watched races of 2020 as Democrats seek to win their first statewide election since 1994.

Bell has given $5,600 to Hegar’s campaign — twice donating the maximum $2,800 that fundraising rules allow. She is not the only big name fueling Hegar’s candidacy. Comedian Rosie O’Donnell and Tim Disney, a grand-nephew of Walt Disney, have also given thousands as the campaign raked in more than $1 million in its first three months of fundraising.

Hegar’s campaign bragged she was able to hit the $1 million mark while refusing to accept corporate PAC money, saying 9 in 10 of her donations were less than $100 with the average online contribution sitting at $28. And she’s shown early success in the suburbs, which will be crucial for the Democrats in 2020.

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Deep field

It’s an early sign of the money that will likely flow into Texas as the 2020 race heats up. While few expect anyone in the race, which has yet to fully take shape, to touch the record-breaking $80 million Beto O’Rourke raised in his bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, it appears the nation’s eyes — and bank accounts — are still focused on Texas.

Cornyn, meanwhile, has amassed more than $9 million to fend off whichever Democratic challenger he ends up facing.

Major PACs and corporate executives — including Sempra Energy, the American Bankers Association and Dean Morrison, president and CEO of Budweiser Distributing Company — funneled millions into Cornyn’s campaign, which raised $2.5 million from April through June. Among Cornyn’s biggest donors were Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta, former Astros pitcher Nolan Ryan and asset management firm founder Charles R. Schwab.

Cornyn, who holds a top post in the Senate, has the support of the Republican establishment, as well. The Republican Majority Fund gave thousands, as did megadonor Sheldon Adelson.

“Texas is a big state. Anytime you run statewide — in a real race — it’s expensive,” said Sherri Greenberg, a former state representative and a professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs. “It has to be a real race. Beto gave Cruz a run for his money. That was a real race. A real race in this state is very expensive.”

Money will especially be key for Hegar, a decorated combat veteran who has little political experience, as she tries to stand out in a deep Democratic field — including Royce West, a Dallas state senator of nearly three decades, City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards and former Houston Congressman Chris Bell.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Longtime state Sen. Royce West joins Democrats vying to challenge Cornyn

Each of the Democrats will try to prove to national donors they have what it takes to beat Cornyn, and Hegar has shown some early success.

“One of the criteria for being a good candidate is being able to raise money. She’s shown she has the ability to do that — with a track record that’s weaker than both West and Edwards,” said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University. “She’s been able to signal to national donors that she’s been able to do some of the heavy lifting herself, as opposed to relying completely on national money if she’s the 2020 nominee.”

“She’s now laid down a marker of a million dollars,” Jones added. “That’s the hurdle that they now need to cross.”

Raising alarms

Also supporting Hegar’s campaign are former Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards, Houston socialite Susan Sarofim and Tom Petty’s former wife, Jane. Hegar also drew $10,000 each from VoteVets, a progressive PAC aimed at helping veterans, and IMPACT, a U.S. Senate Democratic leadership PAC.

She also has done well early in the suburbs. According to Federal Election Commission filings, Hegar raised nearly $9,500 in Georgetown — a longtime Republican stronghold in Williamson County where she’s well known after her 2018 run against Carter. Cornyn’s campaign said he raised just more than $8,000 there in the same quarter. Federal filings show she also raised thousands in Sugar Land and her hometown, Round Rock.

Cornyn’s campaign has sent out near-daily emails to supporters raising alarms about the attention Texas will draw in 2020.

“You remember Beto’s campaign across Texas,” one recent email to supporters said. “He gave liberals across the country hope that Texas may become a Democratic stronghold. He raised massive amounts of fundraising dollars from out of state in an attempt to push his liberal agenda. The same things will happen again if we don’t act now!”

His campaign has bragged that 83 percent of all contributions in the second quarter of the year came from Texas, almost 90 percent were less than $200, and two-thirds of all donors were giving to the campaign for the first time.

Trading barbs

Hegar and Cornyn have already started sniping at each other over their donors, with Cornyn labeling her “Hollywood Hegar.”

Hegar’s shot: “I am proud of the campaign we are building from the ground up and am excited to see so many Texans hopping on board,” she said. “This is just the start. It is clear that Texans are ready to have someone working for them, not someone bought and paid for by corporate PACs.”

It’s a preview of what 2020 could look like. But first, the Democratic primary in March.

“All that a challenger needs is enough money to get some visibility to make their case,” said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University. “Right now, Hegar is leading — she’s the front-runner, but some of these others might have something to say about that.”

Jordan Rubio contributed to this report.

ben.wermund@chron.com