Senate Republicans’ quest to help Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-Texas) reelection prospects is entering a crucial stretch.
The December filing deadline is fast approaching. And there have been some notable new developments in the race.
First, there’s some indication that polls are tightening between Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Two recent public polls showed a single-digit race, and now some private polling shows the same.
The Senate Leadership Fund has a new survey that has the race getting closer, but Cornyn is still down, somewhere between the high single digits and low double digits, according to sources tracking the race.
And second, the pro-Cornyn effort is finally taking aim at Paxton on the airwaves.
Texans for a Conservative Majority, a super PAC backing Cornyn, has a new ad running in Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth saying that Paxton has “a problem with trust.” The spot claims that the people who know Paxton best – including his soon-to-be ex-wife – know he “can’t be trusted.”
As we reported last month, SLF said it plans to spend tens of millions of dollars this year to help Cornyn. One Nation, a nonprofit aligned with SLF, recently dumped $2 million on TV in Texas for Cornyn.
SLF and Texans for a Conservative Majority have been working to boost the incumbent’s image with positive spots. But this is the first TV ad from either group that attacks Paxton. Top Republicans hope this tactic will close the gap between Paxton and Cornyn — and the next few weeks will be crucial.
President Donald Trump has stayed out of this race, but Chris LaCivita, one of Trump’s top political advisers, works with Texans for a Conservative Majority.
One major thing to remember: Paxton has been totally quiet. Cornyn has had millions in positive advertising over the summer. Cornyn’s allies’ own polling suggests that primary voters don’t find him to be conservative enough. We don’t know how the race will change when Paxton hits back with those kinds of attack lines.
