Rep. Wesley Hunt has warned Republicans against repeating the mistake Democrats made by sticking with former President Joe Biden until it was too late, according to a recent report.
Hunt, who entered the GOP primary race for Texas senator in October aiming to unseat Sen. John Cornyn, drew direct parallels between his campaign and Biden’s eventual exit from the presidential race. “It literally is the exact same scenario,” Hunt stated in an interview. “Even the Democrats had to realize that Joe Biden was getting ready to lose, and had to make a quick switch in the witching hour.”
The 44-year-old Hunt, first elected to the House in 2022, emphasized his strong connections to President Donald Trump as key to his campaign against Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton. “I didn’t do this to spite John Cornyn or Ken Paxton,” he said. “I did this to give the people of Texas a true conservative alternative that can carry on the America First mantle for years to come.”
Hunt’s entry into the race has intensified existing tensions between Cornyn and Paxton, with the senator filing an open records request to investigate whether Paxton used taxpayer funds for trips to meet his alleged mistress in September. Paxton, who was impeached by the Texas House in 2023 and acquitted by the state Senate, later saw his wife, Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton, file for divorce on biblical grounds.
Hunt has also highlighted that many prominent Texas Republicans have not endorsed candidates in this race, noting that Sen. Ted Cruz and the governor have “not endorsed in this primary.” He reiterated that “no one has endorsed a 20-year incumbent in this race,” meaning “everybody understands, but nobody wants to really say it out loud, in the Republican primary, John Cornyn is done … and it’s time to move on and pass this baton on.”
Hunt cited his background as a West Point graduate and Apache helicopter pilot, claiming these experiences prepared him for party infighting. “This is Texas, and Texas’s leadership is not going to be picked by the NRSC or anybody else,” he said. “The people of Texas are going to be the ones that decide that.”
A December poll from J.L. Partners showed Paxton leading the primary at 29%, while Cornyn and Hunt were tied at 24%. Meanwhile, the National Republican Senatorial Committee warned that Hunt’s entrance could cost millions defending Cornyn in legal battles, funds that might otherwise be spent in Georgia and North Carolina.
Matt Mackowiak, senior adviser to Cornyn’s campaign, countered that “Wesley Hunt has missed 27% of House votes this year, when President Trump needed him with a narrow majority. He has passed one bill while in Congress. He’s a legend in his own mind.” Mackowiak added: “John Cornyn is a workhorse, as everyone who has ever worked with him recognizes. While show ponies like Wesley Hunt tape podcasts and post on social media, John Cornyn keeps his head down, does the work, and achieves victories for Texas.”
