Thune-aligned PAC stays on sidelines as Cornyn slips in Texas
Texas’s Republican Senate runoff has John Cornyn facing Ken Paxton, while a Thune-aligned One Nation PAC stays on the sidelines. One Nation, the main advocacy arm of the Senate Leadership Fund, had spent about $11 million backing Cornyn in the primary but has not spent on the race recently. The NRSC says Cornyn is the preferred pick to protect Trump’s Senate majority, and Cornyn’s campaign remains confident as voters head to the May 26 runoff. The race has become extremely expensive, with more than $110 million in advertising; Cornyn has roughly $69 million in ad support, accounting for a large share of total spending. President Trump has not endorsed in the race, despite discussion that he might back Cornyn, a move that could provoke backlash from some MAGA supporters. Polls show the general election against Democrat James Talarico is tight, with Talarico slightly ahead of Cornyn and Paxton, while a separate survey indicates primary voters prefer Paxton to Cornyn by a wide margin (about 16 points). The eventual Republican nominee will face Talarico in November as Democrats hope to end Texas’s long statewide losing streak, aided by high turnout in the Democratic primary.
Thune-aligned PAC stays on sidelines as Cornyn slips in Texas runoff
A political action committee tied to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has not stepped in with new spending for Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) in the contentious Texas GOP Senate runoff, as polling shows the four-term incumbent slipping behind Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
One Nation PAC, which spent nearly $11 million backing Cornyn ahead of the March 3 primary, has not spent anything on the race in recent weeks. One Nation is the main advocacy arm for the Senate Leadership Fund, the Senate GOP’s official super PAC working to maintain Thune’s majority.
Despite the lull in outside spending, the National Republican Senatorial Committee says that Cornyn is still Thune’s preferred pick in Texas.
“We’ve been very clear that the fight to protect President Trump’s Senate majority should not be fought in Texas, and John Cornyn is the only candidate who ensures that does not happen,” NRSC spokeswoman Joanna Rodriguez said.
The NRSC has a joint fundraising committee with Cornyn that is still spending money on the runoff. Matt Mackowiak, a senior adviser to the Cornyn campaign, told the Washington Examiner that it was still confident of victory when voters go to the polls on May 26 for the runoff.
“We have a plan to win the runoff, and we are executing it,” Mackowiak said. “Stay tuned.”
The race has already become one of the most expensive Senate primaries in history, with more than $110 million spent on advertising. As of last month, Cornyn had received $69 million in total ad support, accounting for more than 57% of overall spending.
“The establishment PACs are already over $100 million in the hole with little to show,” a Texas GOP strategist told the Washington Examiner. “They’d be smart to preserve resources to protect the Senate this fall and let Texans decide their nominee.”
According to an Impact Research poll, Senate Democratic nominee James Talarico has a slight edge, leading Cornyn by 2 points and Paxton by 1 point. The poll also shows that primary voters prefer Paxton to Cornyn by a 16-point margin. Impact Research is a Democratic consulting firm.
Trump announced earlier this month that he would make an endorsement “soon” in the Texas Senate runoff. The Atlantic initially reported that endorsement would go to Cornyn, but the prospect drew fierce backlash from MAGA influencers, who have rallied behind Paxton.
The president has yet to endorse in the race — a move that could prove decisive in the closely contested runoff.
Cornyn and Paxton are heading to a runoff election after neither candidate earned more than 50% of the vote in the Republican primary, which also included Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX). Cornyn led the primary race on March 3 with 41.9%, with Paxton close behind at 40.7%.
Cornyn has faced sustained criticism from the right for supporting a bipartisan gun control deal during former President Joe Biden’s administration.
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The eventual Republican nominee will face Talarico in the general election, where Democrats hope to break a decadeslong statewide losing streak. The Democratic primary featured the highest turnout in two decades, and Talarico is expected to benefit from a motivated base of Democratic voters.
The Washington Examiner reached out to One Nation for comment.
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