Texas GOP Senate Race Heats Up as Hunt Draws Fire from Cornyn, Paxton

Texas Congressman Wesley Hunt is facing intensified criticism from established GOP rivals Senator John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton ahead of Tuesday's Republican primary. The increased attacks suggest both frontrunners view Hunt as a serious threat who could force the race into a May runoff.

DALLAS — Texas Congressman Wesley Hunt is drawing heavier fire from his more established Republican opponents as Tuesday’s GOP Senate primary approaches, which he interprets as evidence that his candidacy poses a real challenge to their ambitions.

“As an Apache helicopter pilot, it means I must be right over the target zone,” the Iraq War veteran told about 50 people during a recent event at Dallas GOP headquarters.

Hunt jumped into the Senate race late, disrupting what had been primarily a two-way battle between incumbent four-term Senator John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Throughout much of the campaign, political observers viewed him as the third-place contender whose presence would likely prevent either frontrunner from securing an outright victory, thereby triggering a May runoff.

During recent weeks, both Cornyn and Paxton have ramped up their advertising spending to target Hunt with critical messaging, indicating that these two prominent statewide officials view him as an obstacle to their nomination strategies.

The escalating attacks highlight Cornyn’s precarious position as he works to avoid becoming the first Texas Republican senator in state history to lose a primary challenge for renomination.

Should no candidate capture at least 50 percent of Tuesday’s vote, the nomination will be determined through a May 26 runoff between the two highest vote-getters.

Cornyn, who anticipates facing Paxton in a runoff, needs to prevent Hunt from overtaking him during the campaign’s final stretch. At the same time, Paxton could potentially secure an outright victory by reaching 50 percent if he successfully reduces Hunt’s support among voters seeking an alternative to Cornyn.

“I think it suggests Paxton thinks he might be able to get to 50 percent, and that Hunt is polling too close,” said Wayne Hamilton, a Republican strategist unaffiliated with any of the Senate candidates and an adviser to Gov. Greg Abbott. “And Cornyn may be seeing Hunt ticking up too close.”

Hunt, who serves Houston’s northwest suburban districts, rejects the notion that he’s merely disrupting the race and insists he can win the nomination outright.

“I was told this was going to be a vanity project and that I didn’t have a chance,” Hunt told reporters after his Dallas event. “If that were the case, then why are they spending all this money attacking me?”

Cornyn’s campaign organization and supporting super PACs have launched advertisements targeting Hunt, including one highlighting his 2008 Democratic presidential primary vote for Hillary Clinton. Hunt has explained that vote as part of a conservative strategy to assist GOP nominee John McCain by prolonging the contentious 2008 Democratic nominating process ultimately won by Barack Obama.

However, Hunt hasn’t been the primary target of Cornyn and his supporters, who include Senate Republican leadership. According to ad-tracking service AdImpact, the majority of the more than $63 million spent by Cornyn and his allies on television advertising has focused on attacking Paxton.

A super PAC backing Paxton also launched advertisements criticizing Hunt this month, particularly highlighting his House absences while campaigning across Texas as the least recognizable of the three candidates.

Hunt has positioned himself as the most loyal supporter of the former president, despite none of the three receiving Trump’s endorsement. He endorsed Trump’s 2024 campaign early and frequently served as a surrogate during his comeback effort two years ago.

Hunt entered the October race recognizing an opportunity against Cornyn, a former state Supreme Court justice who has lost favor with segments of the Republican primary base partly due to his early dismissal of Trump’s 2024 candidacy. Trump subsequently won Texas by nearly 14 percentage points.

Cornyn also became a conservative target for supporting gun-control legislation following the 2022 Uvalde school shooting tragedy.

“I would never vote for Cornyn,” said Bob Burns, a 74-year-old retired manufacturing executive from Dallas who attended Hunt’s GOP office appearance. He characterized the incumbent as disconnected from today’s Republican Party.

Burns indicated he will support Hunt because he’s “new” and “can carry on Trump’s good work.” He also appreciates Hunt’s advocacy for two-term limits for U.S. senators.

Hunt particularly identified an opportunity as an alternative to Paxton, whom Senate Republican campaign officials in Washington fear would require significantly more resources to defend in a general election. Paxton has endured a failed 2023 impeachment trial and faced allegations of extramarital relationships.

At 44, Hunt represents a generational shift for Texas Republicans choosing between him, the 74-year-old Cornyn who has served in the Senate since 2003, and the 63-year-old Paxton who has held the attorney general position since 2015.

Ultimately, some Texas Republicans suggest Hunt may have simply extended an already lengthy and contentious primary campaign by forcing a runoff, potentially without his participation.

“The biggest thing that’s happened in the race is Hunt’s getting in,” said Tyler Norris, a Texas Republican strategist unaffiliated with any of the Senate candidates. “But, so far, his major contribution is to guarantee a runoff where Paxton and Cornyn will spend tens of millions more to attack each other.”