While Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have a razor-thin with just a four-seat advantage, their six-seat advantage in the U.S. Senate is seen as more likely to hold in November. However, that could change if the GOP loses the traditional Republican stronghold of Texas.
Semafor reported Wednesday that the contentious Republican U.S. Senate primary in Texas is making some Republican senators nervous. Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) – who is running for a fifth term — is hoping to fend off challenges from both Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas). Cornyn and Paxton recently exchanged barbs on social media, with Cornyn's campaign pointing out that Paxton has been accused of infidelity following the collapse of his 38-year marriage to Texas Republican state senator Angela Paxton.
The GOP primary in the Lone Star State could get expensive. The New York Times reported that Cornyn has been bringing in tens of millions of dollars from across the country — meaning Republican donors may be tapped out early as the GOP braces for costly fights elsewhere in November including Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina and elsewhere. The top two vote-getters on March 3 will advance to a primary runoff election on May 26, and the three Republicans are accumulating significant sums of money to compete in both rounds.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told Semafor he was worried about the "business argument" of an expensive Republican primary race in Texas, saying: "You know, if we’re spending $100 or $200 million in Texas in the general election, that’s $100 to $200 million we can’t be spending in other places in races we have a chance to win."
Thune is encouraging President Donald Trump to throw his weight behind Cornyn, and said it would be "enormously helpful" for keeping Texas' Senate seat in Republican hands. Thune added that while he made the case to Trump, "ultimately, the decision is up to him."
The contentious Texas Republican Senate primary is particularly worrisome to Republicans in the wake of Democrat Taylor Rehmet's upset victory in a deep-red Texas state senate district last weekend. Rehmet prevailed over Trump-endorsed Leigh Wambsganss, who also out-raised Rehmet in the special election. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), who is the #4 Senate Republican, told Semafor that Democrats are "really motivated" in 2026 and that seats like Texas' shouldn't be taken for granted.
"We need the candidate that can win in the general," Capito said, adding that Republicans are "very concerned about Texas" given the "money coming out" of donors' pockets that could be spent elsewhere.
