Cornyn, Paxton ready to go for the throat in 2nd act of brutal primary campaign
DALLAS — The race for the Republican Senate nomination in Texas is heading to a high-stakes runoff, with both sides digging in for a costly, drawn-out fight.Longtime incumbent Sen. John...
By Fox News · Fox News
DALLAS — The race for the Republican Senate nomination in Texas is heading to a high-stakes runoff, with both sides digging in for a costly, drawn-out fight. Longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are set to continue their bitter duel after neither candidate cleared the 50% threshold in Tuesday’s primary election. That means the race, which has become one of the most expensive primary contests in history, will drag on until May 26. COMBUSTIBLE REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY IN TEXAS HEADING INTO OVERTIME Cornyn argues he is the only candidate in the field who can win a general election in the Lone Star State — something he has done four times — especially against rising star state Rep. James Talarico, D-Texas, who toppled Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, early Wednesday morning. But for now, his focus is on Paxton. "Just like the primary, we have a plan to win the runoff, and we are in the process of executing it," Cornyn said Tuesday night. "Judgment day is coming for Ken Paxton." Paxton has styled himself as the true MAGA candidate in the race, saying he stood with President Donald Trump when others did not, particularly after the 2020 election. He told supporters in Dallas that he felt the same energy behind his campaign as when Trump announced his re-election bid for a second term. JASMINE CROCKETT SUGGESTS GOP RIGGED HER DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY ELECTION: 'THIS IS WHAT REPUBLICANS LIKE TO DO' "Right now, I feel that same momentum, the same sense that history is turning," Paxton said. "Now let’s talk about what just happened. John Cornyn spent around $100 million trying to buy this seat. We’ve spent around $5 million." "But we proved something they’ll never understand in Washington — Texas is not for sale," he continued. Both sides are leaning into their narratives: Cornyn casting himself as a battle-tested incumbent built for a general election fight, while Paxton presents himself as a Trump-aligned conservative who could breat…