We Hear Your Message
Segment # 1022
Ok John Cornyn hates Ken Paxton and the baggage he brings to the Republican party. Fair enough Paxton has been in the news often for the wrong reasons. How much of this attention was political or personal is beyond my ability to care. Our judicial system is supposed to sort that out and apparently since Paxton is now the candidate for the Senate from the State of Texas those questions have been resolved. Have these issues been resolved to the satisfaction of John Cornyn and some of his colleagues in the senate.. probably not. And maybe we should care about that.
We do know that Ken Paxton has won three statewide general elections in Texas, all for Attorney General:
2014 — elected Attorney General with 58.8%
2018 — reelected with 50.6%
2022 — reelected with 53.4%
The Texas Attorney General’s office confirms that he was elected in 2014 and reelected in 2018 and 2022.
There is an important distinction, however. As of September 2026, Paxton has also won a statewide Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate in 2026, defeating John Cornyn with about 63.8%. That was a statewide election among Republican primary voters, but not a statewide general election.
Why did Texans turn against Cornyn. Pretty Clearly Cornyn made some choices that many Texans did not like and they questioned how much allegiance he had to Texas and his constituents. Fair or not that was the perception he knew was a possibility:
Opposition to Senator John Cornyn among grassroots Texas Republicans and party activists stems from a long-simmering divide between traditional institutional conservatism and the populist, MAGA-aligned wing of the state party.
Bipartisan Gun Safety Legislation (The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act)
The flashpoint that alienated the Texas GOP grassroots occurred after the 2022 Uvalde school shooting. Cornyn served as the lead Republican negotiator for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which enhanced background checks for buyers under 21 and provided federal grants for state crisis-intervention programs (including red-flag laws). Gun-rights advocates and the state party platform viewed any concession as a violation of the Second Amendment, culminating in Cornyn being loudly booed and censured at subsequent Texas GOP conventions.
Institutionalism vs. Populist "Fighter" Style
Cornyn built his career as an establishment figure: Senate Republican Whip, fundraising architect, and Senate dealmaker. The Texas GOP base has increasingly favored confrontational culture-war leaders. Many grassroots delegates and county chairs viewed Cornyn’s willingness to negotiate across the aisle on federal spending, judicial confirmations, and infrastructure packages as capitulation to Democrats rather than principled opposition.
Open Feud with Ken Paxton
Cornyn publicly condemned Ken Paxton’s 2023 impeachment and legal troubles as "an embarrassment" to the Texas Republican Party. When Paxton launched his primary challenge against Cornyn, the battle turned deeply personal:
Primary Clashes: Cornyn and aligned groups spent heavily attacking Paxton’s ethics, legal history, and viability in a general election.
Post-Primary Refusal to Campaign: After losing the primary runoff to Paxton, Cornyn openly criticized Paxton as a "lazy" campaigner and declined to deploy his extensive Texas fundraising network to aid Paxton's fall campaign, instead directing resources to out-of-state Senate races.
Perceptions of Alignment with Trump
While Cornyn voted overwhelmingly with Donald Trump’s legislative platform during Trump’s presidency, he occasionally diverged in tone—expressing skepticism over efforts to challenge the 2020 election certification and criticizing specific legislative maneuvers. Trump ultimately backed Paxton in the primary runoff, criticizing Cornyn as insufficiently loyal and too tied to Washington leadership.
So Cornyn made his race with Paxton who made it simple stating that if Cornyn won he would fund raise for him and support his candidacy. Texas voters turned out to be right again when Paxton clobbered Cornyn in the primaries, Cornyn refused to support him
Yes. Following his defeat by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the May 2026 Republican Senate primary runoff, Senator John Cornyn stated that he will neither campaign nor raise money for Paxton's general election bid.
Campaigning & Endorsement: Cornyn has stood by his campaign criticisms of Paxton, declined to endorse him, and stated he will not campaign on his behalf.
Fundraising: Rather than utilizing his donor network for Paxton, Cornyn announced he is directing his national fundraising efforts toward Republican candidates in other competitive Senate races (such as Michigan, New Hampshire, and Alaska)..
So What’s the Message
Screw Paxton
Cornyn has been a prodigious fund raiser on a national scale which is precisely how he decided to hurt Paxton
In the 2026 Texas U.S. Senate race, Democratic challenger James Talarico holds a significant fundraising and cash advantage over Republican nominee Ken Paxton.
MetricJames Talarico (D)Ken Paxton (R)Cash on Hand / Funds Available~$21.5M – $23.3M~$7.5MTotal Raised (Cycle to Date)~$72.0M~$16.8MPrincipal Campaign Committee$66.0M$9.2MJoint Fundraising Committees$6.0M$7.5MSmall-Donor Share (<$200)~51%~12% (88% large donors)
Key Takeaways
Direct Advantage: Talarico entered the general election window with roughly three times the liquid campaign funds available compared to Paxton.
Donor Base: Talarico's funding relies heavily on grassroots, small-dollar individual contributions across Texas and nationwide. Paxton depends more heavily on larger individual donors and joint fundraising committees shared with party entities.
Outside Spending: Pro-Talarico super PACs (led by Lone Star Rising PAC) have raised over $21 million, while pro-Paxton PACs (led by Lone Star Liberty PAC) have raised approximately $10.3 million. Paxton's primary and runoff battles also drained resources earlier in the cycle.
Voters of Texas Were Right
Given the choice of settling a political grudge against Paxton or protecting Texas against a fair left radical socialist, Cornyn chose the grudge. And now this is what Texas may have to deal with should Talarico win. So like John Cornyn or hate John Cornyn the voters made the right choice in the primaries selecting the candidate that proved his priority was the state of Texas. That harsh? Hell no. it is the truth straight from John Cornyn
Remember who was willing to drop out of the Senate race if the Senate passed the Save Act
Conservative opponents, the Republican Party of Texas, and national GOP groups (such as the NRSC) view James Talarico’s platform and past statements as out-of-step with traditional Texas values. From the right-wing perspective, critics argue his combination of progressive theology, cultural views, and economic policy represents an ultra-liberal agenda.
The primary positions and past statements conservatives cite as his most radical include:
Gender Ideology and LGBTQ+ Policies
Statements on Gender and Faith: Conservatives heavily criticize Talarico’s remarks during Texas House floor debates where he argued that "God is nonbinary" (incorporating masculine and feminine traits) and referenced theories of multiple biological sexes. The GOP frames this as a distortion of biblical doctrine and basic biology.
Transgender Youth & Sports: He opposed Texas legislation restricting gender-affirming care for minors and voted against bills prohibiting biological males who identify as transgender from competing in female sports divisions.
DEI & Pronouns: Critics highlight past social media posts touting pronouns on official staff business cards and his legislative sponsorship to mandate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) curriculum and administrators across large school districts.
Attacks on Christian Conservatism and the Religious Right
Labeling "Christian Nationalism": While Talarico identifies as a Christian seminarian, conservatives view his frequent rhetoric calling Christian nationalism a "cancer" and "worship of power" as a direct attack on evangelical voters and conservative Christians.
Classroom Displays & School Prayer: He vocally opposed measures requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public classrooms and legislation allowing volunteer chaplains in schools, which conservative groups champion as restoring traditional moral foundations.
Abortion Justification: Conservatives strongly reject Talarico’s theological defense of abortion rights, in which he argues the Bible is silent on abortion and that opposing abortion bans aligns with Christian values.
Rhetoric on Race and Extremism
"Radicalized White Men" Statement: A recurring target for GOP campaigns is Talarico’s 2021 social media comment asserting that "radicalized white men are the greatest domestic terrorist threat in our country". Conservatives cite this as evidence of divisive identity politics and anti-white bias.
Economic and Healthcare Intervention
Universal Healthcare ("Medicare for Y'all"): Talarico supports universal public healthcare options, price-capping mandates, and government breakups of vertically integrated private healthcare conglomerates—policies the right argues would lead to socialized medicine, rationing, and destroyed private markets.
Anti-Corporate & Energy Stance: Conservatives criticize his rhetoric framing the Texas oil, gas, and energy sector through the lens of progressive climate activism and his populist attacks on corporate tax structures.
Second Amendment and Border Stances
Gun Control: While opposing school hardening and constitutional carry bills passed in Texas, Talarico has advocated for strict gun control, universal background checks, and red-flag laws, which gun-rights conservatives view as direct infringements on Second Amendment rights.
Border Enforcement: Right-wing opponents frequently characterize his opposition to state-funded border barriers, Operation Lone Star enforcement funding, and local law enforcement immigration crackdowns as an endorsement of open borders.
Institutional Changes
Filibuster & Supreme Court Overhaul: Talarico supports abolishing the current Senate filibuster, imposing term limits on Supreme Court justices, and has expressed openness to expanding (court-packing) the U.S. Supreme Court—moves conservatives label as institutional power grabs intended to dismantle constitutional checks and balances.