Cornyn warns Paxton would be 'kiss of death' for GOP as bloody primary race ramps up

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, had a stark warning for Texans as he fights to keep his job in the Senate, saying a vote for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could mean a Democrat wins the Lone Star State seat for the first time in three decades.

"Ken Paxton will be the kiss of death for Republicans on the ticket in November of 2026," Cornyn said.

Cornyn made his comments as he crisscrossed the state in a mad dash to shore up support as early voting began in Texas earlier this week. He’s deadlocked in a battle for political survival in a grueling three-way primary with Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas.

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Nick Maddux, an advisor for Paxton, fired back in a statement to Fox News Digital that the current Texas attorney general won his election by double digits in 2022, "and the same thing is going to happen in 2026, because Republican voters are fired up to go to the polls and support him."

Maddux charged that Cornyn "is the worst possible choice" for turning out "low-propensity, Trump-supporting America First voters."

"There's a reason that he's stuck in the mid-20s even after $70-plus million's been lit on fire to help him instead of going to races in NC, MI, ME and GA," Maddux contended. "Texas voters don't like him, don't trust him, and won't show up to vote for him in November."

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With the March 3 primary election less than two weeks away, Cornyn wanted to remind voters that their decision could have direct consequences on the GOP’s grip in Texas.

The last time a Democratic candidate won a statewide election in Texas, Cornyn noted, was in 1994. And on the opposite side of the playing field, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, and Texas state Rep. James Talarico are salivating at the chance to snatch the seat.

"I think the attorney general, if he's the nominee, could very well lose the seat," Cornyn said. "But if he doesn't lose the seat, he's not going to win except by the hair of his chin. And, unfortunately, that will not help the down-ballot races."

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Congressional Republicans hold a trifecta in Washington, D.C., which has been instrumental in advancing President Donald Trump's agenda, particularly his marquee tax bill, the "big, beautiful bill."

But midterm elections often serve as a referendum against the sitting president, and though Republicans in the state redistricted last year to give GOP candidates a better chance come November, Cornyn believes a Paxton win in their three-way primary battle would have a negative trickle-down effect.

Trump, however, has not yet endorsed a candidate in the contest, telling reporters earlier this week that he "liked all three of them."

"I know President Trump feels very strongly not only about Texas but also about the congressional races," Cornyn said. "We've got five new congressional seats in Texas, and I know the president wants to carry the majority for the House into the midterms and beyond, because, as he said himself, if Democrats win the majority in the House of Representatives, they will impeach him for the third time."