Paxton fires back at “career politician” Cornyn, calls him “weak” and tied to Democrats after being massively outspent in explosive Texas Senate race
Texas – Texas Republicans are heading into one of the ugliest and most expensive Senate runoff battles the state has seen in years, as Attorney General Ken Paxton and Sen. John Cornyn tear into each other with personal attacks, political accusations, and nonstop television ads ahead of the May 26 showdown.
Even with groups supporting Cornyn dramatically outspending Paxton’s side by a reported $69 million to $4 million, Paxton and his allies are trying to turn the financial imbalance into a political weapon by portraying Cornyn as an out-of-touch Washington insider backed by powerful corporate interests.
The runoff became necessary after Cornyn finished first in the Republican primary but failed to secure enough votes to avoid a second round against Paxton. Since then, the race has become increasingly bitter, with both camps attempting to define the other as unacceptable to conservative voters.
Cornyn’s side has focused heavily on Paxton’s legal controversies and personal scandals. His campaign and supporting groups have repeatedly highlighted Paxton’s impeachment history, ethics investigations, accusations of corruption, and criticism surrounding his handling of child sex abuse cases.
“Senator Cornyn has said that character is on the ballot in this runoff and we are educating Texas GOP voters about Ken Paxton’s mismanagement of his office, his personal enrichment, his indefensible behavior and his disqualifying judgment in child sex abuse cases,” Cornyn campaign senior adviser Matt Mackowiak said in a statement. “Ken Paxton has no one to blame but himself.”
Paxton turns attacks back on Cornyn
Paxton, however, has responded by trying to paint Cornyn as part of the Republican establishment that many conservative voters increasingly distrust. His campaign has repeatedly tied Cornyn to Democrats and attacked his support for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, which Paxton argues weakened gun rights protections.
One of Paxton’s campaign ads directly questions Cornyn’s long political career while showing images of the senator alongside former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders. “After 42 years in office, can you name a single thing career politician John Cornyn has done for you?” the ad asks. “Not one, unless you’re a Democrat. Trump’s right: Cornyn is ‘weak, ineffective and very bad for the Republican Party.'”
The ad reflects a larger strategy by Paxton to make the runoff less about his own controversies and more about Cornyn’s relationship with conservative voters and former President Donald Trump. Although Trump has not endorsed either candidate, Paxton’s team has repeatedly used Trump’s past criticism of Cornyn to energize the Republican base.
At the same time, Paxton’s allies are arguing that the spending gap itself proves Cornyn represents powerful establishment interests rather than ordinary Texans. “We were never going to be at dollar-for-dollar parity against the Washington, D.C. establishment and someone like John Cornyn, who’s got so many industries and corporations in his back pocket,” said Gregg Keller, a spokesperson for the pro-Paxton Lone Star Liberty PAC. “But the fact that we’ve been able to close the gap by such a huge margin — I think you’re going to see the results of that on election night.”
The runoff is now shaping into a battle between two very different wings of the Republican Party. Cornyn is leaning on experience, Senate seniority, and major donor support, while Paxton is trying to position himself as the anti-establishment conservative fighter willing to challenge both parties.
With millions already spent and attacks growing sharper by the day, the final stretch of the race is expected to become even more aggressive. What began as a standard Republican primary has turned into a full-scale political war, with both men betting that Republican voters will ultimately reject the other as unfit to represent Texas in the Senate.
