Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) threw his support behind Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday, bringing Senate leadership one step closer to coalescing around a Republican they spent months trying to defeat.
Thune endorsed Paxton on the heels of his victory against Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), telling conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that Cornyn had been a “great partner” in the Senate but that Republicans need to “pivot” if they hope to win Texas in November.
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As an incumbent, Cornyn had Thune’s backing and advanced to Tuesday’s runoff with the help of tens of millions spent by allied groups. The support was not enough to keep Cornyn in office, however, and Paxton, aided by a late endorsement from President Donald Trump, ran away with the primary vote on election night, defeating Cornyn by 28 points.
Paxton will now face state Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for Senate, in the general election.
“Ken Paxton is our nominee heading into November, and we’ve got to pivot and go all-in to make sure that we keep Texas red, that he wins, and that we keep a far-left liberal out of the United States Senate,” Thune said, disclosing that he called Paxton on Wednesday.
“He’s all-in, ready to go for the fall election, and not taking any time off, already on the phone raising money and all the things you’re going to have to do to be successful,” Thune added.
As of now, polls show Paxton in a tight race with Talarico, and the bitterness of the primary will be difficult to shake. Senate Republicans spent months focusing on Paxton’s ethics scandals, including his 2023 impeachment on corruption charges, and Democrats are preparing to seize on that division.
Some Republicans got an early jump on endorsing Paxton, including Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), the No 2. Senate Republican. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH), a front-runner to lead the National Republican Senatorial Committee next cycle, was the first to back him on Tuesday night.
JAMES TALARICO AND KEN PAXTON COURT THE CORNYN VOTE
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), the chairman of the NRSC, followed suit after Thune, releasing a statement Wednesday evening that began with praise for Cornyn.
“There’s been no better warrior for our party than John Cornyn,” Scott said. “I was blessed to have served with him and I look forward to his continued fight for our great country. But now I stand united with President Trump, Ken Paxton, and Texans who want to protect our Republican Majority.”
On election night, the NRSC released a statement targeting Talarico, but it was attributed to a spokesperson, not Scott, and made no mention of either candidate.
