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Ken Paxton looks to unify GOP, raise money for general election
WASHINGTON – The Texas Senate brawl roared into the next round Wednesday, with Republicans trying to heal and Democrats smelling opportunity.
Ken Paxton's allies already were working to repair party fractures after the Trump-endorsed attorney general steamrolled Sen. John Cornyn to capture the party’s Senate nomination.
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Democratic Senate contender James Talarico, meanwhile, was courting disaffected Republicans and independents, warning that Paxton represents a broken and corrupt political system.
And Paxton’s campaign, looking to the faceoff with Talarico, moved quickly to air a new attack ad accusing him of pushing a liberal agenda out of step with Texas.
The rapid escalation showed Texas shifting from a divisive primary to a high-stakes general election centered as much on the candidates’ personalities, backgrounds and ethics as policy.
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Even President Donald Trump weighed in, pledging to campaign for him in Texas and deriding Talarico as too extreme.
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To win in November, Paxton needs to bring together the different parts of the GOP, including the traditional Bush-era Republicans whose preferred candidate he just walloped.
A victorious Paxton said Tuesday night he wants to earn the support of Texans who didn’t back him in the first round.
“The future of Texas and the future of America is on the line and I intend to do everything I can to expand our movement,” he told supporters in Plano.
Cornyn, in his concession in Austin, said he would support “the Republican ticket” this fall but avoided explicitly endorsing Paxton.
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It’s difficult to imagine Paxton and Cornyn sharing a stage anytime soon, given the two men have spent the past year sparring viciously. Cornyn and his allies spent massive sums to publicly excoriate Paxton as an unethical crook and wanton philanderer, spotlighting allegations Paxton has denied.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., supported Cornyn but said Wednesday on conservative Hugh Hewitt’s show that Texas Republicans have spoken.
“Ken Paxton is our nominee heading into November, and we’ve got to pivot and go all in to make sure that we keep Texas red,” Thune said.
Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz, who both stayed clear of the runoff clash, were among the prominent Texas Republicans who quickly endorsed Paxton and urged the party to come together behind his nomination.
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“A united Republican Party will drive victory,” Abbott said. “Together, we will crush socialist Democrats’ dream of turning Texas blue.”
Some of Paxton’s fiercest critics also called for unity after the votes were counted, including state Rep. Jeff Leach of Plano, who had campaigned with Cornyn.
“We Republicans must quickly heal and unite from these bruising primaries — and I promise to do my part to help make that happen,” Leach said on X.
Healing wounds
The fence mending could take time after the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the GOP campaign arm responsible for electing Republicans, worked closely with Cornyn during the primary to trash Paxton.
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The NRSC released a statement Tuesday night that made no mention of the attorney general but said, “A state President Trump won by nearly 14 points isn’t going to elect James Talarico."
The NRSC tech team, meanwhile, was scrubbing the internet of the organization’s past statements and ads slamming Paxton, while gleeful Paxton opponents shared on social media various screenshots and video clips of the attacks.
The bigger challenge for Republicans may be what comes next.
The party controlling the White House often struggles in midterm elections, and Democrats view Paxton as vulnerable because of years of alleged professional and personal misconduct.
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Trump has demonstrated his firm control of the GOP, but his name will not appear on the November ballot, which could hurt turnout among his most ardent fans.
Pivoting to general
One way to unify a party is to focus on the opponent.
Paxton and other Republicans have been posting a barrage of Talarico clips of his past statements they say demonstrate he is too far left for the state.
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The Paxton campaign released an ad highlighting past Talarico comments about the existence of six biological sexes, describing the American flag as a complicated symbol and suggesting meat consumption should be reduced for environmental reasons.
The ad accuses Talarico of being too “radical” to represent the state and portrays the Trump-backed Paxton as quintessentially Texas.
Talarico has said he regrets some of his more provocative and cringey statements, but accused Republicans of drawing attention to them as cover for Paxton’s misdeeds.
In social media posts and in interviews, Talarico has sought to appeal to Republicans and independents who are disillusioned with the GOP and balking at supporting Paxton.
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During an interview on MS NOW, Talarico said Paxton is “morally unfit” for office, the most corrupt attorney general of our lifetime who puts his own interests over the laws of the state.
“Those aren’t my words. Those are the words of Ken Paxton’s fellow Republicans,” Talarico said. “This November, working Texans — Democrats, independents and Republicans alike — are going to come together to defeat the most corrupt politician in America and the broken political system that he represents.”
Talarico announced “The People vs Ken Paxton Tour” during which he plans to barnstorm through five cities, including a Monday stop in Plano.
Raising money
Paxton was heavily outspent by Cornyn during the primary, and it remains unclear whether he can build the kind of fundraising operation needed for a costly general election campaign.
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Talarico has shown he can rake in small-dollar contributions, and national Democrats keen to exploit Paxton’s vulnerabilities could chip in significantly.
During his victory speech, Paxton encouraged supporters to send money to help fight back in the general election.
“I know how critical it is for our party to come together, and that's what we must do now,” Paxton said. “Without a shadow of a doubt, I will be the Democrats' number one target in November.”
Cornyn was well-known for his fundraising prowess, acting as a conduit to deep-pocketed GOP donors in Texas and elsewhere. Those donors could be feeling tapped out after an expensive primary and less than enthusiastic about giving more money to the candidate they were just opposing.
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At the same time, some Senate Republicans remain bitter that Trump snubbed their popular colleague Cornyn, who rose to the highest ranks of Republican leadership in the Senate.
Bloomberg Government reported Wednesday that Paxton will be in Washington for fundraising activities next week with Cruz, based on an invitation sent to lobbyists.
Cruz said on his Wednesday podcast that Paxton’s win over such a veteran incumbent represented a “sea change.”
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Talarico has made some politically savvy moves and voters who aren’t paying close attention could be convinced he’s a “sweet, inoffensive” young man, Cruz said. Cruz cautioned Republicans not to underestimate a “dangerous candidate” in Talarico.
“The Democrats believe they have a chance to win the general, and I got a message to Republicans in Texas and nationwide: do not take this general election for granted,” Cruz said.