Texas GOP insiders fear bitter primary battle will leave party 'in tatters'

This Tuesday night, May 26 in a U.S. Senate primary runoff, Texas Republicans will choose between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and State Attorney General Ken Paxton — a far-right conspiracy theorist who President Donald Trump endorsed. Paxton is clearly the more MAGA of the two, while Cornyn is being supported by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) and other traditional GOP establishment conservatives. According to Politico reporters Liz Crampton and Samuel Benson, this primary is so "brutal" that some GOP insiders are "worried the party will emerge in tatters."

"Armed with President Donald Trump's endorsement," the journalists explain in Politico, "Paxton has emerged as the clear frontrunner in the final days of a Texas Senate runoff where the MAGA-aligned, scandal-plagued firebrand state attorney general has weathered millions of dollars in attack ads. But Cornyn, the establishment favorite and a giant of the Senate seeking a fifth term in office, is putting up a hard fight until the end, bolstered by a massive war chest and solidarity from senior leadership in Congress…. The race has become increasingly vicious in the final stretch, with Cornyn accusing the attorney general of being ethically unfit for office and Paxton arguing that the incumbent, 74, is too old to continue serving in the Senate."

Crampton and Benson continue, "Their relentless mudslinging has only deepened existing divisions between the GOP's hardliners and traditional moderates. Several Republicans in both Texas and Washington warn that Trump's decision to endorse Paxton over Cornyn has alienated lawmakers on Capitol Hill — and risks turning off major GOP donors who will be critical during an expensive general election."

One of the Republicans who is sounding the alarm is Daniel Garza, president of the Texas-based conservative group, the LIBRE Institute.

Garza told Politico, "In Spanish, they call it lucha de gigantes — a fight between two giants. Post-runoff, you're going to have to mend a lot of fences."

Some conservatives, including Thune and Washington Post columnist George Will, believe that the Democratic nominee, Texas State Rep. James Talarico, would have a better shot against Paxton than he would against Cornyn. And Crampton and Benson note that "national Republicans" are "growing increasingly worried that having Paxton as the nominee will force them to spend massively to hold onto the seat, sucking away resources from other top battlegrounds."

A GOP state lawmaker in Texas, interviewed on condition of anonymity, told Politico, "The vitriol is going to be real. (Trump) has destroyed that trust there. No matter what we do for you, you will still stab us in the back. That's what he did to Cornyn."

A GOP strategist, also interviewed by Politico on condition of anonymity, said of Cornyn, "To say he's the most adored politician by the donor class in Texas is an understatement. That's why this is hard to come to grips with, because he was viewed as the gatekeeper to every major donor in the state, and there's not a close second."

Veteran GOP strategist Mark McKinnon told Politico, "If Cornyn loses, he will be (the) last of the compassionate conservatives — and it will signal the end of years of Republican ascendancy in the Lone Star State."