Astronaut Dem Moonwalks Into Chaotic Race Where GOP Sen Trails

Terry Virts, a retired NASA astronaut and self-described “common sense Democrat,” announced Monday that he is running in the 2026 Texas Senate race — which already includes a heated showdown between the Republican incumbent and his primary challenger.

After making an analogy to his experience in space, Virts vowed that “down here, Trump’s chaos must be stopped,” in a video announcement he posted to X early Monday. The former International Space Station (ISS) commander also took a dig at fellow Texas Senate candidate Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the video — while appearing to ignore Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the incumbent who has been consistently trailing Paxton in polling by wide margins.

The astronaut’s video called Paxton “corrupt,” adding that “MAGA wants” the Texas Attorney General “in the Senate.” Following corruption allegations against Paxton, the Texas House of Representatives impeached him in 2023 — however, the Texas Senate acquitted him later that year.

Still, Virts’ announcement did not even acknowledge Cornyn, the current holder of the Senate seat he is seeking, who lags