Texas Senate Race: Ted Cruz Pushes Ken Paxton
The Texas Senate race is getting a powerful outside booster. Sen. Ted Cruz, who is not up for election this year, has thrown himself into Ken Paxton’s campaign for the U.S. Senate, rallying the Republican base in a state the party worries could see its voters stay home this fall.
Cruz Campaigns Like He’s on the Ballot
Cruz has been crisscrossing his home state making the case for Paxton, the Texas attorney general running as the Republican nominee. The conservative senator is trying to energize the party faithful in what has become an unusually competitive Senate contest in Texas — a state Democrats have long dreamed of flipping.
His involvement carries clear political stakes. Cruz stayed on the sidelines during Paxton’s primary fight but entered the race once Paxton won the runoff in May, and he is now presenting the general election as a straightforward choice between Paxton and the Democratic nominee, state Rep. James Talarico.
Money, Donors, and a Wardrobe Joke
Cruz has opened his checkbook and his Rolodex for Paxton. He has put his own money behind the bid, introduced the attorney general to his extensive donor network, and his aligned super PAC, Truth and Courage, has spent more than $2 million on ads backing Paxton.
National Republicans are investing heavily too: outside GOP groups have put more than $200 million into advertising heading into the general election, and President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have both campaigned for Paxton in Texas, including during a national party convention in Dallas.
The mood on the trail has been lighter than the stakes suggest. After Trump endorsed Paxton but still mocked his appearance, Cruz joked at a recent Houston rally: “Unlike President Trump, I’m not going to comment on his wardrobe,” adding that he had advised Paxton to “go out and buy a bunch of Trump ties and just tie them real long.”
A Race Republicans Can’t Take for Granted
Paxton, weighed down by personal and legal scandals, has trailed Talarico in fundraising and most public polling. Republicans view the seat as essential to holding their Senate majority, and Cruz’s full-throttle involvement signals that the party is treating Texas as anything but safe.
Source: The Washington Post