{"id":2652402,"date":"2026-08-31T15:10:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T19:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignsenate-gop-would-rather-surrender-texas-to-dems-than-to-its-own-voters\/"},"modified":"2026-08-31T15:18:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T19:18:05","slug":"utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignsenate-gop-would-rather-surrender-texas-to-dems-than-to-its-own-voters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignsenate-gop-would-rather-surrender-texas-to-dems-than-to-its-own-voters\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP Would Rather Cede Texas To Dems Than Its Own Voters"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Futm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignsenate-gop-would-rather-surrender-texas-to-dems-than-to-its-own-voters%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2652402&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the contentious Texas Senate race and highlights how the Republican establishment, exemplified by Senator John Kennedy, is unwilling too support incumbent Senator Ken Paxton despite the race being highly competitive. Kennedy mentions that the GOP campaign infrastructure is short on funds for Texas and criticizes the party&#8217;s lack of support for grassroots candidates who represent voters&#8217; interests. This stance reflects a broader pattern where party elites prefer candidates who maintain the status quo and are dismissive of outsiders like Paxton who challenge that system. The piece emphasizes that Senate republicans often sabotage their own grassroots base when those candidates threaten their entrenched power, even if it means allowing Democrats to win. The article portrays this behavior as part of a larger cultural divide within the Republican Party, with establishment figures acting against voters\u2019 wishes to preserve their influence.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-body body-md bdr-top-black pt-30\">\n<div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12\">\n<figure class=\"article-thumbnail mb-30 mb-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-thumbnail-caption d-flex align-items-center justify-content-md-end label-xs mt-15\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-camera me-10\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Image Credit<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Di7OhioY9wo\">Fox News\/YouTube<\/a>       <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-share text-center article-share-simple\">\n<h5 class=\"label-sm mb-10\">Share<\/h5>\n<ul class=\"article-share-list list-unstyled m-0 p-0\">\n<li class=\"article-share-facebook m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/08\/31\/senate-gop-would-rather-surrender-texas-to-dems-than-to-its-own-voters\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Facebook<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-twitter m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Senate GOP Would Rather Surrender Texas To Dems Than To Its Own Voters&#038;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/08\/31\/senate-gop-would-rather-surrender-texas-to-dems-than-to-its-own-voters\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Twitter<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-truth-social m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/share?title=Senate GOP Would Rather Surrender Texas To Dems Than To Its Own Voters&#038;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/08\/31\/senate-gop-would-rather-surrender-texas-to-dems-than-to-its-own-voters\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"currentColor\" style=\"width:36px;height:auto;\" viewbox=\"0 0 92 93\"><path d=\"M69.444 55.716H56.772v10.37h12.672zM64.487 37.795V27.32H38.666v38.664h13.18v-28.19zM21.05 27.321h12.653v10.471H21.051z\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/><\/svg>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Truth Social<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-link m-0\">       <button data-clipboard-text=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/08\/31\/senate-gop-would-rather-surrender-texas-to-dems-than-to-its-own-voters\/\" data-tooltip-content=\"Copied!\" class=\"clip tooltip\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-link-variant\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Copy Article Link<\/span>       <\/button>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\">       <a href=\"mailto:?subject=Senate GOP Would Rather Surrender Texas To Dems Than To Its Own Voters&#038;body=%20https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/08\/31\/senate-gop-would-rather-surrender-texas-to-dems-than-to-its-own-voters\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-email\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article via Email<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\"><span class=\"printfriendly pf-button  pf-alignleft\">                     <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); pfTrackEvent(&#039;Senate GOP Would Rather Surrender Texas To Dems Than To Its Own Voters&#039;); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF &#038; Email\">                     <span id=\"printfriendly-text2\" class=\"pf-button-text\"><i class=\"mdi mdi-printer\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span>                     <\/a>                 <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<div class=\"pf-content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes the GOP establishment is fairly crafty at hiding its disdain for voters. Other times, not so much.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., took a break from making folksy quips to let the mask slip during a Sunday <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Di7OhioY9wo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">interview<\/a> about Texas\u2019 Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/james-talarico\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">James Talarico<\/a>. While often unpredictable in its accuracy, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/polls\/senate\/general\/2026\/texas\/talarico-vs-paxton\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">public polling<\/a> has shown the race to be one of the most contested in the country.<\/p>\n<div id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-4215207233\" class=\"d-flex justify-content-center fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2 fdrlst__b89e9-entity-placement\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1463670073398-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet, despite the race\u2019s apparent closeness and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2026\/08\/28\/john-cornyn-ken-paxton-texas-fundraising-talarico-senate-race\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">major fundraising disparities<\/a> between the two candidates, the <a href=\"https:\/\/heritageaction.com\/scorecard\/members\/K000393\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">milquetoast<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/punchbowl.news\/article\/senate\/senate-trump-rift\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kennedy<\/a> wouldn\u2019t commit to the Senate GOP deploying money to aid Paxton\u2019s election. He said that the Senate GOP\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >campaign arm simply doesn\u2019<\/a>t have the money to spend in Texas (after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2026\/01\/31\/texas-senate-gop-primary-fundraising-q4-cornyn-paxton-hunt-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pouring<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/05\/26\/us\/politics\/cornyn-paxton-texas-senate-primary-spending.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">millions<\/a> into the state primary alongside other establishment forces to try and save incumbent Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/john-cornyn\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">John Cornyn<\/a>). <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s no sense bubble wrapping it \u2014 we\u2019ve got a race in Texas. \u2026 [Paxton] is going to have to point out the deficiencies of Mr. Talarico. \u2026 [But] you can\u2019t win an election by saying the other guy\u2019s worse than me. Money is an issue,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cWe in the Senate don\u2019t have the money budgeted for Texas. We need help from the president. The president says he has $850 million in his campaign accounts. That\u2019s a lot of jack.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <span class=\"AVrq4ZR3Jwpm0g\"><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SenJkennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@SenJkennedy<\/a>  tells me Senate Republicans don&#39;t have plans to spend on behalf of Ken Paxton in toss-up TX race:<\/p>\n<p>KENNEDY: &#8220;There&#39;s no sense bubble wrapping it, we&#39;ve got a race in Texas\u2026 [Paxton] is going to have to point out the deficiencies of Mr. Talarico\u2026 you can&#39;t win\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tPirLCVSfh\">pic.twitter.com\/tPirLCVSfh<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JacquiHeinrich\/status\/2094096526540710002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 30, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/span> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Put another way, \u201cSorry, Ken, you\u2019re on your own!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the surface, it seems particularly rich that the Senate GOP is now running to Trump for help after refusing to pass the SAVE America Act and other conservative priorities. But there\u2019s actually a bigger dynamic at play here that voters should pay attention to. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whenever an establishment-backed crony wins the GOP nomination in any given primary, conservative voters are told to fall in line and back the party\u2019s candidate, no questions asked. But when Republican voters nominate a grassroots candidate who will actually fight for their interests, those same establishment voices are more than happy to leave that candidate out to dry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cornyn\u2019s childish behavior since losing reelection is all but confirmation of this. No longer having to pretend to be someone he\u2019s not, the senior senator has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-independent.com\/news\/world\/americas\/us-politics\/trump-texas-paxton-senate-republicans-b3041875.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">openly trashed<\/a> Paxton, refused to campaign or fundraise on his behalf, and become a regular <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/08\/07\/rinos-are-tanking-the-entire-republican-party-not-just-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">thorn<\/a> in the side of the Trump administration. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Similar antics by outgoing establishment allies <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/thom-tillis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Thom Tillis<\/a>, R-N.C., and <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/bill-cassidy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bill Cassidy<\/a>, R-La., also fit into this category.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While pretending otherwise, Senate Republicans\u2019 biggest gripe with Paxton isn\u2019t his personal issues or campaign style. It\u2019s that he dared to challenge one of their do-nothing foot soldiers and won. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senate GOPers have spent years building a political apparatus that works not to their voters\u2019 benefit, but to their own. It\u2019s a good ol\u2019 boys club where the status quo of doing the bare minimum is considered sacrosanct.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A challenger like Paxton, who has a track record of acting on his voters\u2019 wishes, seeks to disrupt that dynamic \u2014 which is why the establishment has virtually no interest in seeing him win.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In their eyes, Senate Republicans have worked too long and too hard cementing their entrenched system to just hand it over to outsiders like Paxton. They will do whatever it takes to keep it in power. And if that means <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/30\/republicans-would-rather-cede-power-to-democrats-than-their-own-voters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">surrendering<\/a> Texas and the Senate to Democrats in the short term, then so be it. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">      Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics and RealClearHealth. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-30 bdr-top-bold-black\">\n<div class=\"row g-0 align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6\">\n<div class=\"article-author-profile d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center justify-content-md-start\">\n<div class=\"article-author-details\">\n<div class=\"label-md\">Shawn Fleetwood<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author-twitter label-sm d-flex align-items-center mt-10\">             <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter me-5\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>             <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Visit on Twitter<\/span>            <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ShawnFleetwood\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-decoration-none\">@ShawnFleetwood<\/a>           <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 d-flex justify-content-center justify-content-md-end mt-15 mt-md-0\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/author\/shawnfleetwood\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">More Articles<\/a>     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-tags no-print bdr-top-black mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-15 pt-md-45\">\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled d-flex flex-wrap align-items-center mb-0 mx-n10 p-0\">\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/2026-midterms\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">2026 midterms<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/campaign-spending\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">campaign spending<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Donald Trump<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/gop-establishment\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">GOP establishment<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/james-talarico\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">James Talarico<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/john-cornyn\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">John Cornyn<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/john-kennedy\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">John Kennedy<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/ken-paxton\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Ken Paxton<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/senate-gop\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Senate GOP<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/senate-races\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">senate races<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/texas\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Texas<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>GOP elites hide disdain; Kennedy hints at Texas race struggles<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2652403,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/John-Kennedy.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[36432,6203,35635,37104],"class_list":["post-2652402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-electoral-strategy","tag-gop","tag-political-polarization","tag-texas-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/John-Kennedy.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2652402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2652402"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2652402\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2652410,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2652402\/revisions\/2652410"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2652403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2652402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2652402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2652402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}