Groups backing Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in the race for the Republican Senate nomination have outspent Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s allies by $69 million to $4 million as both candidates flood airwaves with negative advertisements.
Cornyn, who finished first in the primary but fell short of a majority and is now facing a runoff against Paxton on May 26, has escalated attacks on Paxton over corruption allegations, ethical issues, infidelity, and loyalty to President Donald Trump.
The Cornyn campaign has targeted Paxton’s personal record, including his previous impeachment and handling of child sex abuse cases. “Senator Cornyn has said that character is on the ballot in this runoff and we are educating Texas GOP voters about Ken Paxton’s mismanagement of his office, his personal enrichment, his indefensible behavior and his disqualifying judgment in child sex abuse cases,” stated Matt Mackowiak, a senior adviser to the Cornyn campaign. “Ken Paxton has no one to blame but himself.”
Meanwhile, Paxton has criticized Cornyn for his role in passing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, arguing the law infringes on Second Amendment rights. He also has attacked Cornyn’s past comments about Trump.
One Paxton campaign ad asks: “After 42 years in office, can you name a single thing career politician John Cornyn has done for you?” while showing Cornyn alongside former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders. The ad states: “Not one, unless you’re a Democrat. Trump’s right: Cornyn is ‘weak, ineffective and very bad for the Republican Party.’”
“We were never going to be at dollar-for-dollar parity against the Washington, D.C. establishment and someone like John Cornyn, who’s got so many industries and corporations in his back pocket,” said Gregg Keller, a spokesperson for the pro-Paxton Lone Star Liberty PAC. “But we’ve closed the gap by such a huge margin — I think you’re going to see the results of that on election night.”
Trump has not endorsed either candidate.
