Senate GOP Begrudgingly Circling Wagons Behind Ken Paxton After He Defeated One Of Their Favorites

Senate Republicans scrambled to smooth things over with Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday after he defeated their preferred candidate in a landslide.

Republicans immediately set aside their differences with Paxton after he unseated incumbent Texas Sen. John Cornyn by 28 percentage points in Tuesday’s Texas Senate GOP runoff. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who previously supported Cornyn, endorsed Paxton on “The Hugh Hewitt Show” Wednesday, stating that Paxton’s victory in November will be key to the Republican majority and future of the country.

“The Republican voters in Texas spoke last night, Ken Paxton is our nominee for November and we’ve got to pivot and go all in to make sure that we keep Texas red, that he wins, and that we keep a far-left liberal out of the United States Senate,” Thune said on the show. “And obviously that seat is going to be very key to our majority which will determine the future of this country.”

In March, Thune said Cornyn needed to remain in the Senate because he was “one of the most effective and respected conservative leaders” in the nation.

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso stated that Paxton must defeat Democratic Texas Senate nominee James Talarico, who he called a “far-left extremist” and a “rubber stamp for open borders.”

“A vote for in November is a vote for a safer, stronger, and more prosperous America,” Barrasso wrote in a Wednesday X post. “He has my endorsement and support. James Talarico is a far-left extremist. He is a rubber stamp for open borders, illegal immigrant criminals, and men playing in women’s sports. Talarico is too radical for Texas. Ken will be a key member of our Senate Republican majority fighting for America First.”