Supporters cheer Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and U.S. Senate candidate, during a primary runoff election night watch party in Plano, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. The GOP base ignored warnings from Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other Republican leaders. The party’s core voters chose Christian nationalists and firebrands more inclined to confrontation than compromise.

Supporters cheer Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and U.S. Senate candidate, during a primary runoff election night watch party in Plano, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. The GOP base ignored warnings from Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other Republican leaders. The party’s core voters chose Christian nationalists and firebrands more inclined to confrontation than compromise.

Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning NewsTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and U.S. Senate candidate, waves to supporters during a primary runoff election night watch party in Plano, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. The GOP base ignored warnings from Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other Republican leaders. The party’s core voters chose Christian nationalists and firebrands more inclined to confrontation than compromise.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and U.S. Senate candidate, waves to supporters during a primary runoff election night watch party in Plano, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. The GOP base ignored warnings from Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other Republican leaders. The party’s core voters chose Christian nationalists and firebrands more inclined to confrontation than compromise.

Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning NewsMayes Middleton won the Republican nomination for Texas attorney general. The GOP base ignored warnings from Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other Republican leaders. The party’s core voters chose Christian nationalists and firebrands more inclined to confrontation than compromise.

Mayes Middleton won the Republican nomination for Texas attorney general. The GOP base ignored warnings from Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other Republican leaders. The party’s core voters chose Christian nationalists and firebrands more inclined to confrontation than compromise.

Roy Aydelotte/Associated PressBo French won the Republican nomination for Railroad Commissioner. The GOP base ignored warnings from Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other Republican leaders. The party’s core voters chose Christian nationalists and firebrands more inclined to confrontation than compromise.

Bo French won the Republican nomination for Railroad Commissioner. The GOP base ignored warnings from Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other Republican leaders. The party’s core voters chose Christian nationalists and firebrands more inclined to confrontation than compromise.

Shafkat Anowar/Staff PhotographerDon Huffines won the Republican nomination for state comptroller. The GOP base ignored warnings from Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other Republican leaders. The party’s core voters chose Christian nationalists and firebrands more inclined to confrontation than compromise.

Don Huffines won the Republican nomination for state comptroller. The GOP base ignored warnings from Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other Republican leaders. The party’s core voters chose Christian nationalists and firebrands more inclined to confrontation than compromise.

Michael Wyke/Contributor

Culture warriors won the Republican Party of Texas runoffs, pushing aside chamber-of-commerce candidates and encouraging political deadlock with extremist candidates.

The GOP base ignored warnings from Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other Republican leaders. The party’s core voters chose Christian nationalists and firebrands more inclined to confrontation than compromise.

Whether it’s Ken “Love Shack” Paxton in the Senate, MAGA Mayes Middleton as attorney general, or Bo “Denaturalize and Deport” French at the Railroad Commission, Democrats have their best chance to win a statewide seat since 2018 by offering candidates more interested in governing than pontificating.

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The Republican civil war will likely worsen. Voters ignored Abbott’s calls to reject French and the governor’s nemesis, Don Huffines, who won the GOP nomination for state comptroller. Abbott cannot be thrilled to see Paxton, a long-time Abbott critic, at the top of the ticket.

Hard to make nice

Traditional Republicans will have a hard time swallowing U.S. Sen. John Cornyn’s loss to Paxton. Many I know can’t stomach Paxton’s felony indictment for fraudulent stock dealing or the bribery allegations that led the Texas House to impeach him — not to mention the apparent hypocrisy of a Christian fundamentalist’s wife filing for divorce on biblical grounds.

Paxton has also accumulated an enormous amount of real estate while making $153,750 a year as attorney general since 2015.

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Will Republican donors who spent $100 million on Cornyn to stop Paxton now write him a $100 million check for the midterm election when more scandals might come to light?

Abbott, Patrick and every Big Oil company in Texas did their best to keep French from joining the state’s energy regulator, known as the Railroad Commission. In his primary campaign, French spent more time opposing immigration and civil rights than sharing ideas for the energy industry.

I’ve been writing for months about French’s Islamophobia, anti-immigrant policies and plan to denaturalize and deport 100 million American citizens. I was not surprised to receive text messages quoting Abbott and Patrick denouncing French and supporting incumbent Jim Wright.

They weren’t criticizing French’s prideful bigotry but his business background.

“Abbott said, French ‘would wreck the miracle’ and ‘doesn’t know anything about oil and gas,’” one text message correctly claimed.

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A message from the American Strength Texas PAC said, “French ran hedge funds that collapsed. The companies he was a partner in still owe thousands in unpaid taxes.” No mention of the conservative culture war issues, which seem to mobilize GOP voters these days.

Exxon, Chevron and dozens of other oil and gas companies saw their campaign donations come to naught. GOP voters chose French over Wright by a smidge.

Lastly, there is Middleton, a scion of old Texas oil wealth who is buying his way up the political ladder. He spent $16 million of his own money to overcome U.S. Rep. Chip Roy’s name recognition and succeeded in portraying himself as more MAGA than thou.

Along the way, he pledged to violate numerous constitutional amendments, but apparently that’s what it takes to win a GOP nomination these days.

Neither competence nor fundraising can guarantee victory anymore. Too many voters from both parties want candidates who reflect their anger toward institutions and hatred for those who disagree.

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None of this is good for the economy or our future.

What Texans want

Republicans have long claimed that business people with real-world experience are more qualified for elected office. But doing business requires dealing with people unlike yourself and negotiating mutually acceptable contracts. The job is about getting to yes, not screaming no and stomping out. I am certain none of these candidates knows how to negotiate deals with Democrats to improve our lives.

To win in Texas, Democrats must convince independent voters they can do better. Will Paxton help bring down inflation and balance the budget? Will French protect Texas landowners from oil companies? Will Middleton protect the rights of all Texans, or only those who vote for him?

Liberal donors have to ask, is the Texas Democratic Party ready for prime time?

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I know there are many Texans who will never vote for a Democrat, and traditional Republicans face a bigger challenge: how do we take the party back from anti-intellectual extremists? Will Abbott and his allies wrest control or end up like Cornyn and Roy?

The 2026 primaries did not resolve the civil war in the Republican Party of Texas; in fact, the results will empower the most extreme insurgents within the party. While that internal battle will not guarantee Democrats’ victory in November, it will keep our politics gridlocked and bring little relief to Texans struggling to make ends meet.

Award-winning opinion writer Chris Tomlinson writes commentary about money, politics and life in Texas. Sign up for his “Tomlinson’s Take” newsletter at houstonchronicle.com/tomlinsonnewsletter or expressnews.com/tomlinsonnewsletter.