THE COLONY — Sen. John Cornyn spent Sunday deep in rival Ken Paxton country, standing before a packed barbecue crowd and delivering a blunt warning to Republicans: Nominate Paxton, and Texas could suddenly have a real Senate problem in November.
On the eve of early voting in advance of their May 26 runoff, Cornyn zeroed in on North Texas, a vote-rich GOP region central to his hopes of surviving the fiercest challenge of his long career and cutting into Paxton’s political base.
At Hard 8 BBQ in The Colony, Cornyn called the runoff bigger than a clash between two Republicans. He said the outcome could shape whether the GOP holds the Texas Senate seat comfortably, protects down-ballot Republicans and keeps President Donald Trump’s agenda on track.
“The attorney general thinks all the scandals that he’s brought with him over the years are already baked into the cake and people don’t care,” Cornyn said. “Character is on the ballot … if you care about the future of the Republican Party and the president’s agenda … there’s too much at stake for any of us to stay home.”
The senator has ramped up his advertising assault on Paxton with deeply personal attacks aimed at raising doubts about the attorney general’s character and electability.
Collin County state Reps. Matt Shaheen and Jeff Leach joined Cornyn. He praised then for showing courage in their 2023 House votes to impeach Paxton on misconduct allegations, though the Senate acquitted him.
“The easiest thing to do would have been to run for the hills and hide from political controversy,” Cornyn said. “They didn’t do that. They stood up for you and our Texas values.”
Cornyn repeatedly has cast Paxton as unfit for office because of past legal entanglements and alleged extramarital affairs. Paxton has used his ads to portray Cornyn as out of step with MAGA conservatives.
Sunday, Cornyn defended his record, saying he’s voted with Trump 99% of the time.
“I’ve been proud to work with President Trump,” he said.
Paxton, a former state legislator from Collin County, is also stepping up a North Texas push ahead of the five-day early voting period. Supporters have scheduled a rally with him Monday in Dallas, followed by an event in Allen.
The Republican nominee will face Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in the November general election, a prospect Cornyn allies raised Sunday as they warned Paxton could put the seat at risk.
Leach described Talarico as “the most liberal, progressive, dangerous Democrat who has ever been in the state of Texas.”
“If you don’t think he’s a threat in November, you’re fooling yourself,” he said.
Shaheen went further, arguing Paxton would lose the general election.
“John Cornyn is the person who can defeat him,” Shaheen said.