Cornyn and Paxton Flood Texas GOP Runoff with Big Money and Trump Influence
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Texas Republican Senate candidates John Cornyn and Ken Paxton are pouring massive sums into advertising, with Paxton leaning on a late Trump endorsement, highlighting the GOP's reliance on dark money and far-right figures.
As the Texas Republican Senate runoff nears, Senator John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton have escalated their advertising blitz, with spending surpassing a staggering $109 million—a testament to the corrosive influence of money in politics. Cornyn and his wealthy backers have dramatically outspent Paxton, unleashing a barrage of attack ads that spotlight Paxton's ethical scandals, warning that his nomination could threaten even the GOP’s grip on the seat.
Paxton, meanwhile, has embraced the backing of former President Donald Trump, centering his campaign on this late endorsement and presenting himself as a loyal soldier in the far-right 'Make America Great Again' movement. Trump’s endorsement, issued on May 19, lauded Paxton as a 'true MAGA Warrior' and took aim at Cornyn for supposed disloyalty—further illustrating the GOP’s descent into personality cult politics and extremism.
Despite the flood of money and high-profile endorsements, voter turnout is projected to remain dismally low among Texas’ 18.7 million registered voters, reflecting widespread disillusionment. The winner of this runoff will become the Republican nominee to face Democrat James Talarico in the general election, offering Texans a chance to reject the toxic politics of big money and Trumpism.