AUSTIN, Texas — Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman was in Cedar Park Thursday campaigning for MJ Hegar.

Hegar is the Democratic nominee for Texas’s 31st Congressional District that serves parts of North Austin and Round Rock.

Hegar is a Purple Heart combat veteran who's facing Republican incumbent John Carter. She's the big underdog in a reliably red district.

Portman said what happens in November affects us all.

"This is a race that's going to influence all of us in this country, including where I live in California and where my children, how my children grow up,” Portman said. “Everything is at stake in this election and I think at the root of it is compassion."

Portman is also in town for opening night of the Austin Film Festival.