Texas Primary Runoff For Senate Seat Reveals Rift In GOP
You know, I’m remiss to call Texas’ runoff primary for the GOP’s senate nominee a “test of President Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican Party” simply because recent elections in Indiana and Kentucky have shown that yes, Trump still holds an iron grip in deep red states. That being said, should Trump get his way in the Texas primary, it may actually be more of a headache for the Republican Party come the midterms.
According to the Washington Post, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has consistently led incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in the polls. After Trump formally endorsed Paxton last week, his edge in the polls increased further. “It was the kiss of death for Cornyn,” Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas), a Paxton supporter, told the Post of Trump’s endorsement.
While Cornyn narrowly beat Paxton in their initial primary, hard-line conservatives, who are trending toward Paxton, tend to show up in higher numbers during runoff elections. GOP operatives have spent weeks trying to convince Trump to back Cornyn, as they believe backing Paxton endangers what has traditionally been a safe seat. What’s crazy is that in doing some research, I couldn’t find a tangible thing that Cornyn did to draw Trump’s ire. I guess if he simply perceives you as disloyal, that’s a wrap.
Crazy how the GOP still rallies around a temperamental president who has shown no qualms about ruining their political prospects over hurt feelings.
Paxton’s tenure as Texas’ attorney general has been scandal-prone, with Paxton facing several allegations of corruption, financial malfeasance, and infidelity. So basically, Trump’s kind of guy. Paxton has been well behind Cornyn and James Tallarico, the Democratic nominee, in fundraising. Cornyn has expressed concerns that, should Paxton secure the nomination, it would require the GOP to spend more money than they otherwise would have in what has long been a safe Senate seat.
“It would be hundreds of millions of dollars, and there’s still a good chance he would lose,” Cornyn told supporters Thursday at a campaign stop in Houston. Early polling has shown that a race between Cornyn and Tallarico would be relatively tight, with Tallarico leading in a potential race against Paxton. If Tallarico does beat Paxton in the midterms, it would be the first time in 30 years that a Republican has lost a statewide election in Texas.
“Republicans made their bed a long time ago when they tied themselves to an unpopular agenda of higher prices that’s crushing Texans every day,” Madison Andrus, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement. “But if they want to nominate another extremist to dig themselves even deeper in the hole, they can be our guest.” While Trump’s polling has been underwater nationally, his endorsement still carries weight with conservatives in traditionally deep red states. Despite Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) voting in lockstep with his GOP colleagues 90% of the time, his push to release the Epstein files drew Trump’s ire, with Trump endorsing Massie’s primary challenger Ed Gallrein.
Massie summed up his predicament fairly well during an attempted ambush interview with conservative influencer and all-around weirdo Laura Loomer. “I thought you knew. I vote with Republicans 91% of the time, and the 9% I don’t, they’re taking up for pedophiles, starting another war, or bankrupting our country.”
Massie ultimately lost his reelection bid last week. A similar story played out in Indiana, where several incumbent state senators lost their reelection bids to Trump-endorsed candidates. Their mistake? Listening to their constituents and voting against a redistricting effort requested by Trump.
So with that recent history in mind, it should come as no surprise if Paxton winds up securing the Senate nomination tonight. Personally, I’m not going to complain if Trump winds up shooting the GOP in the foot cause he was in his feelings.
SEE ALSO:
John Cornyn And Ken Paxton Fight Dirty Over US Senate Seat
All Eyes On The Senate Race In Texas Primary Election
Texas Primary Runoff For Senate Seat Reveals Rift In GOP was originally published on newsone.com
