UMVA has learned that former President Donald Trump has turned his fury toward a longtime Texas Republican, branding Senator John Cornyn as “very disloyal” while throwing his full support behind Attorney General Ken Paxton in a fiery Senate runoff.
The showdown pits the seasoned incumbent Cornyn against the controversial Paxton, a self‑described MAGA warrior whose legal battles with Obama and Biden administrations have kept him in the national spotlight. The winner will lock horns with Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, a rising star whose primary victory over progressive firebrand Jasmine Crockett has set the stage for a potential historic flip of Texas’s Senate seat.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the runoff is more than a local contest; it is a litmus test for Trump’s lingering grip on the GOP. The former president’s endorsement of Paxton arrives after weeks of purging dissenting Republican senators in other states, signaling that his influence remains a decisive force in nomination battles.
Trump’s social‑media tirade accused Cornell of wavering when “times were tough,” recalling the senator’s delayed backing during Trump’s 2020 campaign and his later criticism of the former president’s policies. Cornyn, however, defended his record, emphasizing years of cooperation with Trump and promising to keep Texas “the envy of the nation.”
Paxton, meanwhile, has not shied away from the attacks. He reminded voters that Cornyn opposed the border wall and has repeatedly clashed with Trump’s agenda, painting himself as the true defender of the president’s vision for America.
The stakes are staggering. If Paxton secures the GOP nomination, Republicans could be forced to pour millions into a general‑election fight against Talarico, whose fundraising haul topped $27 million in the first quarter alone. Cornyn argues that his own track record—winning his last Senate race by ten points—offers a safer path for the party.
Beyond the Senate race, Texas voters will decide the next attorney general in another high‑profile runoff. Four‑term Rep. Chip Roy faces self‑funded oil executive Mayes Middleton, a battle that pits courtroom experience against deep‑pocketed independence.
Roy, a former assistant attorney general, warned that Middleton’s lack of legal practice could cripple the office, while Middleton countered that Roy has “betrayed MAGA” by breaking with Trump on key issues. The duel underscores the broader ideological split within Texas’s GOP as the party grapples with loyalty versus electability.
Other races add layers of drama: a contentious Democratic runoff in the newly majority‑Latino 35th Congressional District features a housing activist’s controversial proposal to turn an ICE facility into a prison for American supporters of Israel, igniting fierce backlash and rallying establishment support for her moderate opponent.
In Houston’s 18th District, veteran Democrat Al Green will contend with newcomer Christian Menefee for a seat redrawn in the last round of GOP‑led redistricting, while Dallas’s 33rd sees Julie Johnson pitted against former Rep. Colin Allred in a battle for the district’s future direction.
The political tapestry of Texas this election cycle is a vivid portrait of power, principle, and personal ambition—all converging in runoff battles that could reshape the Senate balance, determine the fate of the attorney general’s office, and signal the next chapter of Trump’s influence within the Republican Party.
