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yesterday

Wesley Hunt Enters Texas Senate Race, Creating Three-Way GOP Primary

His entry heightens the likelihood of a costly runoff that GOP leaders warn could sap resources.

Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, gestures as he walks to the podium to speak on the first day of the Republican National Convention, Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee.
FILE - Rep.-elect Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, walks past reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Jan 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
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FILE - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024, at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md., Friday , Feb. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Overview

  • Rep. Wesley Hunt, a two-term Houston-area lawmaker and West Point graduate, launched his 2026 Senate bid on Monday, casting himself as an alternative to Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton.
  • Senate Republican leaders and the NRSC are backing Cornyn and publicly urged Hunt not to run, while Cornyn’s team derided Hunt’s move and Paxton’s campaign welcomed him to the race.
  • Paxton has led most polls this year as Cornyn has narrowed the gap after heavy outside spending, and in three-way surveys Hunt typically places third; President Trump remains neutral.
  • Ad spending and cash positions underscore a high-cost contest, with Cornyn allies airing roughly $19–$21 million in ads this year, Hunt-aligned efforts topping about $6–$6.5 million, and cash on hand around $6 million for Cornyn, $3 million for Hunt, and $2.5 million for Paxton.
  • The primary is March 3, 2026, and strategists widely expect no candidate to clear 50%, pointing to a likely late-spring runoff that some analysts say could advantage Paxton’s base voters.