Republican voters made a Texas-sized gamble last night in the Lone Star state, betting that even with the baggage he carries into a general election, Trump loyalist Attorney General Ken Paxton will be able to handle the threat from a strongly backed Democratic effort behind State Rep. James Talarico. We&#8217;ve heard the left’s dreams of turning Texas blue for decades, but even with his defects as a candidate and fundraiser, Paxton still enters the final contest as the favored candidate. The larger question is whether that gamble will cost Texans and Republicans in other races around the country.
As successful as he&#8217;s been politically — with a knack for surviving challenges, lawsuits, and even an impeachment — Paxton has never been an effective individual fundraiser. The biggest gap between him and incumbent Senator John Cornyn isn&#8217;t ideology or even loyalty to the president — it&#8217;s their capability to raise money in a state marketplace that demands it.
Cornyn&#8217;s campaign doomed his effort to hold on this cycle by squandering that money on television ads, poor staffing choices, and adopting a general Washington insider tone in a cycle of voter frustration — but they had plenty of money to dump into the effort. National Republicans are pissed off about the whole situation, understanding that they may now have to push money into a contest that wouldn&#8217;t have needed it if voters had decided differently. If their reluctance to spend big on yet another contest in a critical cycle holds and Paxton&#8217;s past is prologue, he&#8217;ll have to get a leg up from Texas donors called upon to grin and bear it about a candidate they&#8217;ve been reluctant to fund.
The concern among Texas Republican politicos is less about Talarico&#8217;s potential for victory, given his lengthy history of far-Left comments about everything under the sun, and more about the newly drawn redistricted map potentially netting fewer GOP victories than hoped for, given Paxton&#8217;s electoral appeal. While Cornyn and fellow Senator Ted Cruz have consistently held the line among Hispanic voters (in his Senate race, Cruz won Hispanic voters by 6 points over Colin Allred two years ago), Paxton has lagged. The latest polling has Talarico winning Hispanics in the state by almost 30 points, and such turnout from those voters in November could be a major drag on Republican congressional candidates down-ticket.
The fear in Washington is that Texas will now draw resources necessary to hold seats in Maine, North Carolina, and Ohio — potentially detracting from the strong GOP hopes of taking Senate seats in Michigan and Georgia. If Senate Majority Leader John Thune and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott decide to keep their focus on those five contests, Texas may be left on its own to get Paxton across the finish line.
The unpredictable element here is how much the national media will play in this contest. In the past, we&#8217;ve seen the national glow-ups for candidates like Beto O&#8217;Rourke totally backfire, turning a fairly middle-of-the-road El Paso Democrat into a progressive wet dream, the skateboard-riding bass player that made Austin swoon but who ultimately had no path to victory statewide. Will Talarico get the same treatment? He already is, though every interview he does betrays that his version of non-binary six gender abortion-loving Christianity is anathema in the Valley.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Texas state Rep. and Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico responded to GOP attacks over his past remark that God is “non-binary,” telling <a href="https://twitter.com/edokeefe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@edokeefe</a> that some of his previous comments “missed the mark.”
“There are some statements that I’ve made that I certainly regret,”… <a href="https://t.co/VRsEXHo6ir">pic.twitter.com/VRsEXHo6ir</a>
— CBS News (@CBSNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/2059668066741445059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Paxton is still the odds-on favorite. To a certain extent, the lengthy catalog of his failings is largely known to voters, while Talarico is still a fresh face who hasn&#8217;t confronted the scrutiny of running statewide in an old-school Texas knife fight. For Republicans who care about holding the Senate against a blue wave, they have hope that Paxton&#8217;s sins are already baked in, and that Talarico&#8217;s approach to running continues to look more like prep for his ideal next job — co-hosting a religion podcast for The New York Times.

Rep. Ken Paxton, and U.S. Senate candidate watch party

Voters Make A Texas-Sized Gamble On Ken Paxton

DW Opinion

James Talarico

John Cornyn

Ken Paxton

Texas Elections

Texas voters on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to move on from longtime incumbent senator John Cornyn (R-TX), handing the longtime incumbent a devastating defeat and delivering a sharp rebuke to the Republican establishment in Washington.
The race was called for Ken Paxton, who went into election day with the backing of President Donald Trump, immediately as the polls closed in Texas. Paxton, the state&#8217;s current attorney general, was ahead by 25 percentage points.
Paxton&#8217;s landslide victory deals a major blow to the Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), who repeatedly urged Trump to back Cornyn, a four-term senator and longtime fixture in GOP leadership. Cornyn previously chaired the National Republican Senatorial Committee and served as Senate Majority Whip. 
“Sen. Cornyn is a principled conservative. He is a very effective senator for the state of Texas, but none of us control what the president does,” Thune said of Trump’s 11th-hour endorsement. “That doesn’t change the way I feel.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Q: &#8220;How personally disappointed or frustrated are you with the president&#8217;s decision to endorse Ken Paxton today?&#8221;
.<a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderJohnThune?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LeaderJohnThune</a>: &#8220;Sen. Cornyn is a principled conservative. He is a very effective senator for the state of Texas…None of us control what the president does.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/5QglYxRp1V">pic.twitter.com/5QglYxRp1V</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2056805960895590901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
Cornyn is the latest incumbent — and second senator to fall — amid Trump’s campaign to purge Republicans he views as disloyal to his agenda. In recent weeks, the Trump endorsement has led to losses by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and a handful of Indiana Republicans who bucked the president’s redistricting effort.
Paxton has emerged as a fierce MAGA firebrand on a range of issues, using his office to protect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-texas-ag-investigating-school-officials-who-said-theyd-break-the-law?row=0&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Tim+Rice&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Texas+AG+Launches+Probe+Into+Schools+Scheming+To+Get+Boys+Onto+Girl+Sports+Teams&amp;category=News">women’s sports,</a> defend Texas A&amp;M’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-texas-ag-to-defend-texas-am-over-decision-to-ban-campus-drag-shows?row=0&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Texas+AG+To+Defend+Texas+A%26M+Over+Decision+To+Ban+Campus+Drag+Shows&amp;category=News">decision</a> to ban a campus drag show, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-arrests-48-year-old-woman-for-performing-illegal-abortions-operating-fake-clinics?row=0&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;title=Texas+Arrests+48-Year-Old+Woman+For+Performing+Illegal+Abortions%2C+Operating+Fake+Clinics&amp;category=News">prosecute</a> a woman who performed illegal abortions.
With all eyes on Texas, Trump ended months of suspense last Tuesday and threw his political clout behind Paxton. 
“Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate,” Trump said on <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116602192066577324">Truth Social</a>. 
“John Cornyn is a good man, and I worked well with him, but he was not supportive of me when times were tough,” he added.
On the campaign trail, Paxton seized the moment. 
“I am so honored to have President Trump’s endorsement,” Paxton said. “When he endorses, it has a tremendous impact…I think it creates a slight bit of momentum, don’t you?”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Texas AG &amp; U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton (R) speaks after receiving President Trump&#8217;s endorsement: &#8220;When he endorses, it has a tremendous impact…I think it creates a slight bit of momentum, don&#8217;t you?&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/cGFSrteLV4">pic.twitter.com/cGFSrteLV4</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2056783591925842382?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
When neither Paxton nor Cornyn surpassed the 50% threshold in the initial vote — triggering a runoff — both campaigns stepped up an intense jockeying for Trump’s support.
Paxton raised eyebrows for <a href="https://x.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/2029607496395239546?s=20">saying</a> he would consider dropping out of the race if the Senate passed the SAVE America Act.
&#8220;John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill,&#8221; Paxton said.
<a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/11/opinion/sen-cornyn-why-the-save-act-matters-more-than-the-filibuster/">Cornyn wrote in a op-ed</a> that he had previously backed the “60-vote threshold to protect the country,” but said that “when the reality on the ground changes, leaders must take stock and adapt.”
The Senate’s failure to pass the SAVE America Act appeared to sway Trump.
“I know Ken well, have seen him tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and he is a WINNER! Ken is a Strong Supporter of TERMINATING THE FILIBUSTER and, very importantly, THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, something which polls at 87%, including Dumocrats, and yet can’t seem to get approved,” Trump said in his endorsement. “Perhaps Ken can help move these important elements of Government forward…”
Turning Point Action backed Paxton, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee spent millions supporting Cornyn.
Some party leaders worry Paxton — who was nearly convicted on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-senate-votes-to-acquit-attorney-general-ken-paxton-of-all-charges">corruption-related impeachment charges</a> — could put a reliably Republican seat at risk. His wife filed for divorce in 2025, citing <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/10/angela-paxton-divorce-texas-attorney-general-ken/">adultery on &#8220;biblical grounds.&#8221;</a>
In November, Paxton will face off against Democratic candidate James Talarico, whom Trump recently ripped into as “weird.”
“I’ll tell you what I do think — I think the Democrats have a weird, a weird candidate. Six genders, a real hit on Jesus,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-roasts-texas-democrat-over-six-genders-and-vegan-flip-flop">Trump told reporters on Air Force One.</a> “I mean, this guy is bad news with his mask from relatively recently, and he’s a vegan. He’s a vegan. All of a sudden, he’s not a vegan. He was a vegan, now all of a sudden he’s not.”
“Texas doesn’t like vegans. I do believe either one of them will easily win the race. I think the candidate the Democrats have in Texas is a very flawed, very weak, very — I think he’s a pathetic candidate, especially for Texas,” the president added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
NEW AD:
Low T Talarico is too WEAK and WEIRD for Texas. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TXsen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TXsen</a> <a href="https://t.co/B6wL7pto4S">pic.twitter.com/B6wL7pto4S</a>
— Lone Star Liberty PAC (@LoneStar_PAC) <a href="https://twitter.com/LoneStar_PAC/status/2057531828085350738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
Further down the Texas runoff ballot, Chip Roy, another Republican incumbent opposed by Donald Trump, was also defeated in his run for attorney general. Trump allies had blasted Roy in the final days of the campaign as &#8220;one of the most anti-Trump congressmen in the country.&#8221;
The winner, Mayes Middleton, had branded himself &#8220;MAGA Mayes&#8221; on the campaign trail and ran pledging to fight for Trump&#8217;s agenda if elected.
And in a final cherry on top for Trump from Tuesday night&#8217;s results, Democrat Al Green, who notably was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/deported-dem-rep-al-green-booted-from-trump-address-to-congress">removed from the chamber</a> for shouting down Trump&#8217;s State of the Union address, also fell to a primary challenge.

Untitled design (12)

Trump-Backed Paxton Blows Out Cornyn In Texas Senate Showdown

Elections

News

politicxs

Texas

President Trump on Tuesday endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to replace incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn, boosting the MAGA firebrand ahead of the contentious May 26 runoff.
&#8220;Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate. He will tirelessly fight to continue the Great Growth of our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations (I just delivered the Largest Tax and Regulation Cuts in American History!), and Advance MADE IN THE U.S.A., Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Champion Texas Oil &amp; Gas, Advocate for our Amazing Farmers and Ranchers, Promote School Choice, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Support our Incredible Military/Veterans, Safeguard our Elections, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment,&#8221; <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116602192066577324">Trump said on Truth Social. </a>
“John Cornyn is a good man, and I worked well with him, but he was not supportive of me when times were tough…” he added.
Paxton, speaking to supporters, took a victory lap. 
“I am so honored to have President Trump’s endorsement,” Paxton said. “When he endorses, it has a tremendous impact…I think it creates a slight bit of momentum, don&#8217;t you?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Texas AG &amp; U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton (R) speaks after receiving President Trump&#8217;s endorsement: &#8220;When he endorses, it has a tremendous impact…I think it creates a slight bit of momentum, don&#8217;t you?&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/cGFSrteLV4">pic.twitter.com/cGFSrteLV4</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2056783591925842382?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
Trump teased the endorsement while taking questions from reporters at the White House. 
“I think MAGA has never been more together, actually. I’m going to be making an endorsement today in Texas,” <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/2056755698948530671?s=20">Trump said.</a> “I love Texas. I’m going to be making an endorsement at about 12:30, 1 p.m. for the big race — the Senate race in Texas.”
&#8220;There are those that say whoever I endorse is going to win. I don’t know if that’s true. Historically, that’s absolutely true. I just don&#8217;t like to say it because I don&#8217;t like to brag,” Trump added. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
President Trump: &#8220;I&#8217;m going to be making an endorsement today in Texas — I won Texas all six times meaning primaries and the race. &#8221; <a href="https://t.co/baANOzSD3y">pic.twitter.com/baANOzSD3y</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2056755698948530671?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
The 11th-hour endorsement comes after the Cornyn campaign appeared to have given up on securing the president’s support. 
“I think that ship has finally sailed,” <a href="https://x.com/JohnnieMo/status/2056412787748847981?s=20">Cornyn said to reporters after voting in Austin, Texas.</a>
He was right. 
&#8220;I have worked closely with President Trump through both of his Presidential terms and voted with him more than 99% of the time. He has consistently called me a friend in this race,&#8221; Cornyn said, reacting to the Paxton endorsement. &#8220;It is now time for Texas Republican voters to decide if they want a strong nominee to help our GOP candidates down ballot and defeat Talarico in November, or a weak nominee who jeopardizes everything we care about. I trust the Republican voters of Texas.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I have worked closely with President Trump through both of his Presidential terms and voted with him more than 99% of the time. He has consistently called me a friend in this race. It is now time for Texas Republican voters to decide if they want a strong nominee to help our GOP…
— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnCornyn/status/2056781893681467545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
When neither Paxton nor Cornyn surpassed the 50% threshold in the initial vote — triggering a runoff — both campaigns stepped up jockeying for Trump’s support.
Paxton raised eyebrows for saying he would consider dropping out of the race if the Senate passed the SAVE America Act.
“I would consider dropping out of this race if Senate Leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and passes the SAVE America Act,” <a href="https://x.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/2029607496395239546?s=20">Paxton</a> wrote.
<a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/11/opinion/sen-cornyn-why-the-save-act-matters-more-than-the-filibuster/">Cornyn wrote in the op-ed</a> that he had previously backed the “60-vote threshold to protect the country,” but said that “when the reality on the ground changes, leaders must take stock and adapt.”
The SAVE America Act push appeared to sway Trump.
&#8220;I know Ken well, have seen him tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and he is a WINNER! Ken is a Strong Supporter of TERMINATING THE FILIBUSTER and, very importantly, THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, something which polls at 87%, including Dumocrats, and yet can’t seem to get approved,&#8221; Trump said in his Truth Social endorsement. &#8220;Perhaps Ken can help move these important elements of Government forward&#8230;&#8221;
Turning Point Action backs Paxton, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee backs Cornyn.
“The runoff electorate is gonna naturally favor Paxton, because these are conservatives, these are people that are enthusiastic to turn out and support a strong attorney general and President Trump,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-holds-cards-in-texas-showdown-as-one-move-could-clear-the-field">a Republican consultant previously told The Daily Wire</a>.
Whoever wins the Republican nomination will face off against Democratic candidate James Talarico, whom Trump recently ripped into as “weird.”
“I’ll tell you what I do think — I think the Democrats have a weird, a weird candidate. Six genders, a real hit on Jesus,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-roasts-texas-democrat-over-six-genders-and-vegan-flip-flop">Trump told reporters on Air Force One.</a> “I mean, this guy is bad news with his mask from relatively recently, and he’s a vegan. He’s a vegan. All of a sudden, he’s not a vegan. He was a vegan, now all of a sudden he’s not.”
“Texas doesn’t like vegans. I do believe either one of them will easily win the race. I think the candidate the Democrats have in Texas is a very flawed, very weak, very — I think he’s a pathetic candidate, especially for Texas,” the president added.
John Thune, the Republican Senate Majority Leader, expressed disagreement with the decision.
“Sen. Cornyn is a principled conservative. He is a very effective senator for the state of Texas, but none of us control what the president does,” Thune said. “That doesn’t change the way I feel.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Q: &#8220;How personally disappointed or frustrated are you with the president&#8217;s decision to endorse Ken Paxton today?&#8221;
.<a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderJohnThune?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LeaderJohnThune</a>: &#8220;Sen. Cornyn is a principled conservative. He is a very effective senator for the state of Texas…None of us control what the president does.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/5QglYxRp1V">pic.twitter.com/5QglYxRp1V</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2056805960895590901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2026</a></blockquote>

texas_senate_montage

Trump Makes Late Endorsement In Heated Texas Primary

Politics

Trump

President Donald Trump ripped into “weird” Democrat U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico over his far-Left views, hammering him for his promotion of veganism and transgender ideology. 
Trump made the comments when asked Friday if he would endorse Senator John Cornyn or Attorney General Ken Paxton before the Texas Senate GOP primary runoff election later this month. While he declined to say which way he was leaning, Trump said he thought either would easily defeat Talarico. 
“I’ll tell you what I do think — I think the Democrats have a weird, a weird candidate. Six genders, a real hit on Jesus,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “I mean, this guy is bad news with his mask from relatively recently, and he’s a vegan. He’s a vegan. All of a sudden, he’s not a vegan. He was a vegan, now all of a sudden he’s not.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Trump roasts Texas Democrat over ‘six genders’ and vegan flip flop" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/irgph7f9CF8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“Texas doesn’t like vegans. I do believe either one of them will easily win the race. I think the candidate the Democrats have in Texas is a very flawed, very weak, very — I think he’s a pathetic candidate, especially for Texas,” the president added. 
Talarico was slammed for his anti-meat views after a <a href="https://x.com/DaveMcCormickPA/status/2034091714726506920">video circulated</a> from 2022 when he said people should eat less meat to reduce “climate change” and said his state legislative campaign was “officially” a “non-meat campaign.” 
“It is now existential that we try to reduce our meat consumption, and that we try to respect animals in all aspects of society,” a masked Talarico said. “And so I am proud to say that our campaign has officially become a non-meat campaign. So we have, we are only buying vegan products from our local vegan businesses.”
In subsequent interviews, Talarico said that he denies “all accusations of veganism,&#8221; and claimed that his “campaign runs on barbecue.”
Trump’s comments also highlighted Talarico’s promotion of transgender ideology. He once claimed during a committee hearing that there are more than two sexes.
“The one thing I want us to all be aware of is that modern science obviously recognizes that there are many more than two biological sexes,” he <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/04/26/texas-lawmaker-sparks-backlash-for-arguing-there-are-six-sexes/">said</a>, pointing to genetic abnormalities. “In fact, there are six.”
Talarico has also claimed that Christianity is pro-abortion and that God is “non-binary.”

MixCollage-15-May-2026-07-32-AM-7092

‘Six Genders.’ Vegan Flip-Flop. And A ‘Hit On Jesus.’ Trump Goes Scorched Earth On Dem.

Donald Trump

Senate

Texas Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico said Wednesday that his campaign had hauled in $27 million during the first quarter of 2026 as he seeks to flip the seat blue.
Talarico said the total marks a record for money raised by a Senate candidate in the first quarter of an election year. The leftist Democrat is set to face the winner of the GOP primary runoff between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
&#8220;Grassroots contributors from almost every county in Texas are sending Washington, D.C. a clear message: they&#8217;re tired of this broken, corrupt political system and they&#8217;re ready to take back Texas for working people,&#8221; Talarico said. &#8220;We&#8217;re bringing Democrats, Republicans, and Independents together to end billionaire control over our politics and bring down costs for families across our state.&#8221;
Talarico&#8217;s campaign said that 97% of contributions were $100 or less, adding that many of the donations came from teachers.
&#8220;Winning in Texas will require unprecedented resources. The grassroots fundraising haul puts our movement in a strong position to spread our message in some of the most expensive media markets in the country,&#8221; said Talarico campaign manager Seth Krasne.
Large fundraising totals have not always translated into victories for Democrats in high-profile Senate races.
In 2018, Beto O&#8217;Rourke raised $38 million during the third quarter of his challenge to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) but ultimately lost by about 2.6 percentage points.
In 2020, Democrat Jaime Harrison raised $57 million in the third quarter for his bid against Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the highest quarterly total in Senate history, but lost by more than 10 percentage points.
Talarico, a state representative, has a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-james-talarico-says-he-loves-trans-children-in-unearthed-clip">reputation</a> for backing leftist policies on several social issues. During his time in the legislature, he has <a href="https://journals.house.texas.gov/HJRNL/88R/PDF/88RDAY63FINAL.PDF">opposed</a> legislation that restricted transgender medical procedures for minors, including a 2023 law addressing surgeries and cross-sex hormone procedures.
In April 2019, he also spoke out against a bill that would expand the definition of child abuse to include parents who do not affirm their child&#8217;s so-called gender identity.

Texas Senate Candidate James Talarico Holds Campaign Rally In Houston On Eve Of Primary Election

Dem Blasts ‘Billionaire Control’ While Raking In Record $27M To Flip Red State

2026 Midterms

Supporters of Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX) were divided by the news of Attorney General Pam Bondi&#8217;s ouster over whether Paxton should be considered for the national job or should remain in the fight to replace John Cornyn.
Paxton is currently in a heated Republican runoff with incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, with President Donald Trump yet to issue an endorsement ahead of the May 26 contest. If Paxton were to be tapped for a national position and drop out of the race, it would effectively clear the field for Cornyn and set the general election matchup against Democrat James Talarico.
The Daily Wire could not confirm whether Paxton is actually being considered. Other names circulating in Republican circles include EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, DOJ Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, and Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO).
Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet also floated Paxton&#8217;s name, alongside others like Zeldin, Dhillon, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought.
Kolvet said the next individual has &#8220;to be ruthless and smart and impossible to distract or slow down.&#8221; The spokesman for the conservative group said that he&#8217;s been told that former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who was Trump&#8217;s withdrawn pick for the role last year, is not &#8220;pursuing&#8221; the job.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
With Bondi departing, I have a few people in mind to be the next AG, who&#8217;s your pick?
• Harmeet Dhillon 
• Lee Zeldin 
• Ken Paxton 
• Jeanine Pirro 
• Ron DeSantis 
• Russ Vought (but he&#8217;s great at OMB)
Has to be ruthless and smart and impossible to distract or slow down.…
— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewKolvet/status/2039774655524004294?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
Online speculation intensified following posts from conservative commentators and political observers, many of whom <a href="https://x.com/RedEaglePatriot/status/2039776422366003312?s=20">argued</a> Paxton would have a greater impact as attorney general than as a U.S. senator.
“Bondi is OUT,” conservative influencer <a href="https://x.com/RedEaglePatriot/status/2039776422366003312?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Red Eagle Politics”</a> posted to X on Thursday. “Ken Paxton should be our next AG. He can make a massive impact in that role, whereas in the Senate he would just be one vote out of 100.&#8221;
The prediction market <a href="https://kalshi.com/markets/kxnextag/next-ag/kxnextag-29" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kalshi</a> gives Paxton roughly a 4% chance of becoming Trump’s nominee, compared to 57% for Zeldin and 31% for interim Attorney General Todd Blanche.
One X post from Daily Wire reporter Mary Margaret Olohan listed several names being discussed:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
People close to the White House are throwing around a lot of names for the next attorney general. Here’s a few of the names I’ve had mentioned to me today:
&#8211; Mike Lee 
&#8211; Harmeet Dhillon 
&#8211; Ashley Moody 
&#8211; Lee Zeldin 
&#8211; Eric Schmitt
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/2039786402221584593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
Others pointed out that the brutal nature of the primary, which has highlighted Paxton&#8217;s past personal and professional controversies, could complicate the potential confirmation process.
“I think there’s a non-zero chance Trump tries to replace Pam Bondi with Texas’s Ken Paxton and rams the vote through an otherwise hesitant Senate by promising that since Cornyn would then become the TX Senate nominee, odds to keep the chamber go up,” Michigan State University policy professor <a href="https://x.com/joshcowenMI/status/2039780397727309982?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Cowen</a> wrote on X.
Some conservatives pushed back on the Paxton buzz, <a href="https://x.com/ImFiredUp2/status/2039799088888053842?s=20">saying</a> he should remain in the Senate race to challenge Cornyn.
“Watch for the horse trading to put Ken Paxton up for AG thus making Cornyn the senator from Texas again,” conservative commentator <a href="https://x.com/ImFiredUp2/status/2039799088888053842?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chad Caton</a> wrote. “THIS CANT HAPPEN. We must rid ourselves of the power and influence that John Cornyn wields. Ken Paxton must be the next Senator from Texas.”
Democrats also suggested that Paxton could be the pick to take on the top law enforcement role in the Trump administration.
“Depending on how low he wants to go, I figure he goes with Ken Paxton to replace Bondi. Who is scummier than him? Plus he clears the field in Texas for Cornyn,” Democratic activist <a href="https://x.com/PaulJacobsMedia/status/2039751328604262871?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paul Jacobs</a> posted to X.
“My prediction: with Pam Bondi out, Ken Paxton is next up. Yes, Texas’ scandal-ridden AG who’s currently tripping his way through a primary runoff against John Cornyn,” former liberal political strategist <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sheajordansmith" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shea Jordan Smith</a> wrote on Facebook. “They’d much rather send Cornyn into a general election than take a chance on Paxton, who’s radioactive enough to turn a winnable race into a problem… especially with James Talarico on the other side.”
The Daily Wire reached out to the Paxton campaign for comment. The Cornyn campaign declined to comment.
When asked about Bondi&#8217;s status, the White House pointed to a Truth Social <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2039754354471686643?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> from Trump praising her for doing &#8220;a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our country.&#8221;

U.S. Supreme Court Hears Expedited Challenges Over Texas Abortion Ban

Paxton Supporters Push Trump To Make Him AG — Others Say No Way

Attorney General

Pam Bondi

The Texas Senate Republican primary runoff is pressing onward, as President Donald Trump has yet to make an endorsement between Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the May 26 runoff.
When neither Paxton nor Cornyn was able to deliver a decisive victory in the initial vote — triggering the coming runoff — Trump indicated that an endorsement of one candidate was imminent. He did not name the candidate at the time — and has not indicated since who he might endorse or when — but said that when he did deliver his endorsement, he planned to call on the other candidate to drop out of the race.
A GOP operative familiar with the Cornyn campaign said that the campaign has not heard anything regarding where the president stands on an endorsement.
“Senator Cornyn over-performed all expectations by winning the March 3 primary after Ken Paxton spent two weeks predicting he would win without a runoff,” Cornyn campaign senior advisor Matt Mackowiak said in a statement, adding that Cornyn has “voted with President Trump 99.3% of the time and is one of his most effective allies in the Senate.”
“Democrats nominated their strongest candidate for U.S. Senate. Texas Republicans must nominate John Cornyn who is our strongest nominee by far to gain five new Congressional seats and advance Trump’s legislative agenda in the final two years of his second term,” Mackowiak added.
The Daily Wire reached out to the Paxton campaign for comment. Paxton is backed by Turning Point Action, and Cornyn is backed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
“The runoff electorate is gonna naturally favor Paxton, because these are conservatives, these are people that are enthusiastic to turn out and support a strong attorney general and President Trump,” a Republican consultant told The Daily Wire on background in order to speak freely about the race.
<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-cornyn-paxton-endorsement-texas-senate-race-rcna263483" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a> reported on March 14 that the president would make a decision “over the next week or so,” but no announcement had been made even after two weeks had passed.
“I like both candidates very much,” he told the outlet, stressing that “a lot has to do with the SAVE America Act.”
“A lot is going to determine — Republicans have to get that passed, because that will secure voting in this country,” he added.
Paxton made waves after posting to X on March 5 that he would consider dropping out of the competitive runoff election if the Senate was able to pass the SAVE America Act.
“I would consider dropping out of this race if Senate Leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and passes the SAVE America Act,” <a href="https://x.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/2029607496395239546?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paxton</a> wrote.
The Republican later criticized Cornyn for his <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/11/opinion/sen-cornyn-why-the-save-act-matters-more-than-the-filibuster/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a> op-ed, saying he would back potential changes to Senate rules in order to pass the voter identification legislation, calling it a “historic” pivot.
Cornyn wrote in the op-ed that he had previously backed the “60-vote threshold to protect the country,” but said that “when the reality on the ground changes, leaders must take stock and adapt.”
Prior to the SAVE America Act push, Paxton had previously said he would remain in the race even if the president gave Cornyn his blessing.
“Well, that’s bad for him to say,” Trump told <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/05/trump-paxton-texas-senate-primary-00814209" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a> on March 5. “That is bad for him. So maybe, maybe that leads me to go the other direction.”
Whoever wins the May 26 runoff will face off against Democrat James Talarico, at whom who the president had taken direct aim despite not weighing in on the Republican race. In a March 22 <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116273343074887409" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Truth Social post</a>, the president called Talarico a “weak, ineffective guy.”
The president added that “this guy is worse” than his primary opponent, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX).
“It does not matter because they’re both solid candidates,” an individual familiar with Republicans thinking on the race said on background, saying that recent coverage of the Democrat has been hurting his campaign.
“At this point, it’s more likely that Talarico drags Dems down at the bottom of the ticket.”
The Daily Wire reached out to the Talarico campaign for comment.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Senator John Cornyn.

Trump Holds Cards In Texas Showdown As One Move Could Clear The Field

Congress

The effort to get the SAVE America Act to President Donald Trump’s desk intensified on Wednesday, when Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) released an op-ed highlighting that he would back “whatever changes to Senate rules” were deemed necessary in order to pass the bill.
Cornyn’s op-ed comes as he and Attorney General Ken Paxton are battling for Trump&#8217;s endorsement in the heated Texas Republican Senate primary that is already headed to a May 26 runoff election.
The president has said that the SAVE America Act is his top legislative priority, even vowing not to sign any other legislation until he sees it on his desk, and some Republicans have suggested using the “talking filibuster” — or ending the filibuster altogether — in order to get around Democratic obstruction. The measure would require documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration and voter ID at the ballot box.
“For many years, I believed that if the U.S. Senate scrapped the filibuster, Texas and our nation would stand to lose more than we would gain,” Cornyn wrote in his op-ed for the <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/11/opinion/sen-cornyn-why-the-save-act-matters-more-than-the-filibuster/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a>.
“My fellow conservatives and I have proudly used the 60-vote threshold to protect the country from all sorts of bad ideas and dangerous policies,” he added, saying that “when the reality on the ground changes, leaders must take stock and adapt.”
“Today, Democrats are weaponizing the Senate’s rules to block the SAVE America Act, defund the Department of Homeland Security and hurt the American people — all to spite President Donald Trump. But they say openly that if these same rules ever get in Democrats’ way, they won’t hesitate to rip them up,” he said, noting how many Democrats have sought to get rid of the filibuster in the past.
Critics of using a “talking filibuster” — or ending the practice altogether — have warned that it could open the floodgates to certain legislative proposals that the Democrats, and perhaps a small number of Republicans, could pass.
“A lot of that is, it&#8217;s in that kind of, you know, paid influencer ecosystem,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told <a href="https://x.com/brennanleach/status/2031083867503743376?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a> on Monday.
“What people don’t realize, I think, is that’s unlimited debate but it’s also unlimited amendments,” Thune has previously warned, according to <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5777802-talking-filibuster-gop-debate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hill</a>.
Attorney General Ken Paxton used Cornyn&#8217;s op-ed as an opportunity to attack the incumbent senator, reminding everyone that he had posted on X one week prior that he “would consider dropping out of this race if Senate Leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and passes the SAVE America Act.”
“John Cornyn did exactly what I predicted. In one week, I&#8217;ve made him more conservative than in the past 24 years,” Paxton posted Wednesday. “The historic flip-flop&#8217;s great and all, but why aren&#8217;t you calling out your buddies like McConnell opposing the bill? Tell the American people who&#8217;s opposing this.&#8221;
The Republican primary has taken a strikingly personal tone as the runoff approaches, with the Cornyn campaign releasing a commercial on Friday regarding Paxton’s personal scandals and accusing the sitting attorney general of breaking several of the Ten Commandments.
Democrats have begun coalescing around state Sen. James Talarico, who defeated Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the primary last week — but according to the Cook Political Report, the general election race still skews “Likely Republican.”

Sen. John Cornyn

The Fight Over Proof Of Citizenship To Vote Reaches Boiling Point

2026 midterm

election integrity

President Donald Trump signaled this week that he will soon issue an endorsement in the high-stakes Texas Republican Senate primary runoff, a move that could dramatically reshape the race between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he plans to announce his endorsement soon and urged the candidate who does not receive it to step aside to unify the party ahead of the general election. 
“I will be making my Endorsement soon,” Trump wrote. He added that the candidate he does not back should “DROP OUT OF THE RACE” so Republicans can “TOTALLY FOCUS” on defeating the Democratic nominee.
<iframe class="truthsocial-embed" style="max-width: 100%; border: 0;" src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116172264831357045/embed" width="600" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><script src="https://truthsocial.com/embed.js" async="async"></script>
The statement comes as the <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-primary-elections/texas-senate-results">Texas primary</a> heads toward what is expected to be a bruising runoff. Cornyn finished the initial round of voting ahead of Paxton, leading by roughly 25,000 votes with more than 95 percent of ballots counted. However, neither candidate secured the majority required to avoid a second round, setting up a competitive 12-week showdown.
Behind the scenes, several Senate Republicans and major donors are urging Trump to move quickly, and many are lobbying for Cornyn.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/03/05/congress/gop-trump-texas-endorsement-cornyn-paxton-00813727">told</a> reporters he hopes the endorsement comes soon, saying he personally made the case to the president. Other Republicans have echoed that message, warning that a drawn-out primary battle could weaken the eventual nominee and provide Democrats with an opening in November.
Some party operatives fear the fight could burn through more than $100 million in Republican donor money. Democrats have already consolidated behind their nominee, state Rep. James Talarico, who secured his party&#8217;s nomination outright.  
Several GOP senators have argued that Cornyn would be the stronger general election candidate.
Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) told POLITICO that Cornyn is “without a doubt the candidate to win in November,” while also acknowledging the political weight of a Trump endorsement in Republican primaries.
Similarly, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) argued the party should rally behind Cornyn to protect the seat. “We need to hold that seat which means we need to nominate someone who is going to win in November,” Barrasso said.
Despite the mounting pressure, Paxton has signaled he has no intention of leaving the race regardless of Trump&#8217;s decision.
In an <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RealAmericasVoice/videos/paxton-im-staying-in-this-raceno-im-staying-in-this-race-i-owe-it-to-the-people-/913491044731688/">interview</a> on Wednesday, Paxton argued that Cornyn has failed to represent the state’s conservative base. “I owe it to the people of Texas,” Paxton said. “I’ve spent a year campaigning against John Cornyn because John has not represented the people of Texas well.”
Paxton doubled down on that stance in a post on <a href="https://x.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/2029607496395239546?s=20">X</a> Thursday, tying his candidacy to Trump’s legislative agenda and the proposed SAVE America Act. He said he would consider stepping aside only if Senate leadership agreed to eliminate the filibuster and pass the legislation, while accusing Cornyn of refusing to support abolishing the filibuster to advance it. 
Paxton further defended his loyalty to the president, citing his support for Trump’s efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 United States presidential election and his presence at Mar-a-Lago during Trump’s 2024 campaign launch.
While Trump has not yet publicly revealed whom he will support, many Republicans in Washington believe momentum is shifting toward Cornyn following his stronger-than-expected showing in the first round of voting.
Still, the final decision could determine whether the Texas GOP faces a prolonged and expensive intra-party battle or quickly coalesces around a nominee ahead of the general election.

Untitled design (13)

Trump Signals Imminent Endorsement In Texas GOP Senate Runoff

U.S. Senate

The national narrative about the result of last night&#8217;s Texas Senate Democratic primary is that the party dodged a bullet. Picking Austin state representative James Talarico over Dallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett was the savvy move, ensuring a competitive statewide race that will, at worst, be a drag on Republican dollars in the upcoming midterms, and at best could finally fulfill leftist dreams of turning the state blue.
It&#8217;s possible this national narrative is right, and Talarico will make it a race against embattled incumbent Senator John Cornyn or, Democrats hope, controversial Attorney General Ken Paxton. There&#8217;s plenty of investment by the donor class and the party establishment in this effort. The dutiful legacy media complex, from Stephen Colbert to <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/03/02/james-talarico-profile" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New Yorker</a>, is already building up Talarico as that rare thing, a Christian of the Left who can win over centrist voters. They are already giving him the serious &#8220;young man looking into the middle distance thinking about noble stuff&#8221; profile already done to death for fellow Ivy League grads Beto O&#8217;Rourke and Pete Buttigieg (to no avail). Expect more of the same in the months ahead.
Despite Kamala Harris&#8217;s endorsement, Crockett faced a deluge of Democratic donor opposition for her Senate effort, as billionaire lefties went all out for Talarico — and paid for all the dirty political attacks he claims to demur from. As the Washington Free Beacon <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/mess-in-texas-billionaire-backed-talarico-shrugs-off-racism-scandal-to-steal-senate-nod-from-jasmine-crockett/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>:
<blockquote>Meanwhile, a billionaire-funded super PAC linked to Talarico—who repeatedly assailed the influence of billionaire-funded super PACs—relentlessly attacked Crockett on the airwaves. The Lone Star Rising PAC, started by a longtime friend of Talarico just days before the candidate launched his Senate campaign, spent millions on negative ads against Crockett over the past few weeks. LinkedIn founder and Jeffrey Epstein pal Reid Hoffman was among the billionaires who bankrolled the super PAC, along with hedge fund titans Stephen Mandel and Mark Heising. The group also received millions via the same &#8220;dark money&#8221; networks Talarico had promised to ban via ‘anti-corruption’ legislation.</blockquote>
The irony here is that while Democrats might have wanted Talarico because he could make Texas competitive, they ended up picking a guy who — for all his invocations of Scripture — is actually further left than Crockett. Her record isn&#8217;t moderate, but it&#8217;s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/03/upshot/crockett-talarico-texas-senate-election.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more moderate</a> than you&#8217;d think given her fiery social media persona. And her appeal was to a broad ethnically diverse camp that tends to grade as more moderate, while Talarico actually performed best in multiple polls with liberals. There&#8217;s a reason that white voters in Austin were his greatest center of support, and it&#8217;s not because he name-checks the Magnificat while making the case for abortion.
Texas Democrats may ultimately regret this decision. Crockett would&#8217;ve had a tougher path to victory, but she could&#8217;ve made inroads into the communities that Democrats need to peel back from Donald Trump&#8217;s coalition. With Talarico, it looks like Beto all over again — a guy who&#8217;s further left than the media will ever acknowledge trying to fake out moderate voters just until Election Day. In case you missed it, this was their favored approach just last year to win statewide in Virginia and New Jersey with two new governors who even got described as moderates by the Wall Street Journal, and instantly revealed they were nothing of the kind.
So watch out, Texas. You&#8217;re about to get the nice young man junior Bible camp version of Abigail Spanberger. Don&#8217;t fall for it.

Texas State Representative Talarico Campaigns Ahead Of Primary Election

Will James Talarico Flip Texas Blue? Don’t Be So Sure.

Jasmine Crockett

President Donald Trump says he will make an endorsement in the Texas Senate Republican primary soon, and when he does so, he wants the other candidate to drop out so that Republicans in the Lone Star State can focus on gearing up for a potentially expensive and closely watched general election fight with Democratic nominee James Talarico.
The president explained his strategy after Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton both advanced to a runoff election on Tuesday night after an already brutal primary race. Trump had initially opted not to endorse any specific candidate in the three-way race that also included Rep. Wesley Hunt, who failed to earn enough votes to move forward.
“The Republican Primary Race for the United States Senate in the Great State of Texas, a State I LOVE and won 3 times in Record Numbers (the HIGHEST vote ever recorded, by far!!!), cannot, for the good of the Party, and our Country, itself, be allowed to go on any longer. IT MUST STOP NOW!” Trump posted to Truth Social on Wednesday afternoon, saying that the party needs to “TOTALLY FOCUS” on beating Talarico, who defeated Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX).
“Both John and Ken ran great races, but not good enough. Now, this one, must be PERFECT! My Endorsements within the Republican Party have been virtually insurmountable!” he said.
“It is such an honor to realize and say that almost everyone I Endorse WINS, and wins by a lot, especially in Texas! I will be making my Endorsement soon, and will be asking the candidate that I don&#8217;t Endorse to immediately DROP OUT OF THE RACE! Is that fair?” the president added, stressing that Republicans “must win” the midterms. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, but that margin could shift in either direction, thanks to several competitive races on the table in November.
The attacks between Cornyn and Paxton, which colored much of the primary race, showed no signs of stopping as of Tuesday night.
“I refuse to allow a flawed, self-centered and shameless candidate like Ken Paxton risk everything we&#8217;ve worked so hard to build over these many years,” Cornyn said, according to CSPAN.
Meanwhile, Paxton posted to X on Wednesday morning that he wants to “fire John Cornyn once and for all.”
“Last night, in a historic failure for John Cornyn, he failed to get nearly 60% of the GOP vote after spending $100 million,” he wrote. “It&#8217;s time to finish the job in the runoff.”
The Cook Political Report currently ranks the race as “Likely Republican,” but there has been some concern among Republicans that a lengthy, messy primary — especially one that drags even further through a contentious runoff — could continue to drain resources and boost the Democrat in the general election. Trump won the state of Texas with over 56% of the vote in 2024.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump

Trump Wants To Play Kingmaker In Heated Texas Senate Race

2026 election

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett took the stage at her “TEXAS TOUGH Election Night Watch Party&#8221; in a downtown Dallas nightclub around 9:00 p.m. last night with some less-than-inspiring words for her followers.
“I can tell you now that people have been disenfranchised,” she said, implying that Republicans had deliberately suppressed votes in her home district. &#8220;And I think you know why.”
“I won’t be back tonight, because I have no idea when we’re going to have results.&#8221; Everyone should have a good time in her absence, she added.
But like it was always going to, the dream died in the middle of the night. Before 2:00 a.m. local time, the AP called the race. Crockett, the most entertaining Senate candidate Texas has seen in a generation, lost her Democratic primary to James Talarico, whose supporters in his home area of Austin — where he won something like 800% of the vote — were waving signs reading “Love Thy Neighbor” as he called his victory a “people-powered movement to take on this broken, corrupt political system.”
A liberal Christian vibe, led by a sort of lay preacher, won the day. But those of us who follow politics for a living, as a hobby, or both, want to thank Congresswoman Crockett for her service.
Crockett’s candidacy smothered the headlines like a noontime eclipse, blotting out the sun, even though she entered the race very late, not filing until near the December deadline. After Colin Allred, the blandest former football player on Earth, left the primary, she moved into the opening. Immediately upon her announcement, a poll saw her leading Talarico by eight points. As she said at a Houston nightclub soon after her announcement, &#8220;I&#8217;m Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. Right now, I&#8217;m ready to kick some ass and become your next U.S. Senator.&#8221;
Even though you could barely parse the policy differences between Crockett and Talarico with a micrometer, she played the race card like no one has played it before. She said that Hispanic voters who supported the Trump administration’s immigration policies had a “slave mentality.” Rumors floated around that the GOP wanted her to run because they thought she’d be easier to beat than Talarico, even though Kamala Harris, of whose presidential campaign Crockett was a national co-chair, endorsed her candidacy. After a pro-Talarico group called Lone Star Rising released an ad that mentioned the apparent Republican preference for Crockett, Crockett accused them of darkening her skin in the ad and called the line of attack &#8220;straight-up racist.&#8221;
What dirt did she have on Talarico? Not much. With his over-earnest, Obama-like mannerisms and Richie Cunningham haircut, Talarico is the embodiment of the good-government liberal progressive, the kind of guy the old Daley Machine in Chicago used to call “goo-goos.&#8221; So instead, we got the “mediocre black man” controversy after Talarico, on a podcast, correctly called Allred’s dead Senate campaign “mediocre.” Crockett made good hay out of that one.
When Matt Rogers, co-host of the endlessly annoying “Las Culturistas” podcast with Bowen Yang, said, &#8220;Don&#8217;t waste your money sending to Jasmine Crockett,&#8221; the congresswoman unleashed a massive backlash online, forcing Rogers to apologize. And yet when CBS and the FCC “censored” but didn’t actually censor a Talarico interview with Stephen Colbert, garnering Talarico a massive national surge of publicity, Crockett’s response was muted, even soft. She knew the bird was cooked. But despite a massive fundraising disadvantage, a massive publicity disadvantage, and the fact that everyone, everywhere mocked everything about her, she actually did pretty well for a while. Not well enough, but almost.
So, what do we now face in Texas? Corruption-plagued Texas attorney general Ken Paxton, despite having more baggage than a family traveling back to India to visit relatives for six weeks, looked destined to upend the career of geriatric four-term Senator John Cornyn. But though Paxton and Cornyn are heading for a runoff in the Republican primary, Cornyn appears to have the edge, as he slightly overperformed polls on Tuesday, while Paxton and third-party candidate Wesley Hunt underperformed. It’s close, but Cornyn’s coalition of golf-shirt-wearing steakhouse people appears likely to triumph over whatever MAGA-style rebellion Paxton thinks he’s leading.
So here’s the most likely scenario: Talarico takes in countless millions of dollars from out-of-state Democrats, who once again believe they’re going to “turn Texas blue.” He’ll hold huge rallies full of enthusiastic, mostly white people who’ll cry while chanting his name. There will be a Willie Nelson concert and at least one appearance on Jimmy Kimmel. And then, on Election Day, he’ll lose by a respectable four to six points, once again bursting the bubble illusion that goo-goos can win in Texas, which hasn’t elected a Democratic Senator since Lloyd Bentsen.
Though the primary runoff between Cornyn and Paxton will be spicy, it’s going to be an earnestly dull general campaign. It didn’t have to be this way. Texas Democrats could have voted for Jasmine Crockett. As Whitney Houston once sang, didn’t we almost have it all?
***
Neal Pollack is the author of 12 semi-bestselling books of fiction and nonfiction and is a three-time Jeopardy! champion.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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