Overview
- Ken Paxton, with a late endorsement from President Trump, defeated four-term Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican runoff on May 26, turning a once-safe GOP Senate seat in Texas into a competitive race.
- In a wide-ranging New York Times interview published this week, Cornyn blamed Trump for setting the GOP up for a midterm “disaster” and warned the president could face “the most miserable two years of his life.”
- Cornyn said he will not campaign for or raise money for Paxton, a significant setback because Cornyn had been a prolific national fundraiser who helped other Republican campaigns.
- Paxton carries legal and ethics baggage, including a felony indictment and a 2023 state impeachment, and trails Democrat James Talarico badly in cash on hand, making outside money critical to his chances.
- Republicans are urging Trump or his super PAC, MAGA Inc., to spend from its roughly $356 million war chest but the group has not committed funds, a choice that could force the GOP to reshuffle resources with major implications for Senate control and oversight.