The political winds in Texas are shifting, and if you listen carefully, you can hear the rumble of discontent growing louder across the Lone Star State.
Ken Paxton’s challenge to unseat Senator John Cornyn has picked up another significant endorsement, this time from Representative Burgess Owens of Utah. The endorsement carries particular weight given Owens’ personal connection to Texas history and his standing among conservative voters nationwide.
“My great-great grandfather, as a child, escaped slavery via the underground railroad and found home in Smithville, Texas,” Owens stated. “He was later able to purchase 102 acres of farmland and build his American Dream. Texas has long been a safe haven for those seeking freedom. Ken Paxton has embodied that legacy as Attorney General. Now, we need him in the Senate.”
Owens did not mince words about what he sees as the stakes involved. “The radical left has had their sights set on Texas for too long, and we need bold leadership to ensure that doesn’t happen,” he continued. “I’m proud to join many of my colleagues in endorsing Ken Paxton for United States Senate.”
This endorsement follows a similar show of support from Representative Brandon Gill of Texas, who made his backing of Paxton public just last week. The pattern emerging here is worth noting. These are not establishment figures circling the wagons. These are younger, more combative conservatives who believe the old guard has failed to deliver.
“To enact President Trump’s agenda, the Senate needs serious change, and a great place to start is by electing Ken Paxton,” Gill wrote in his endorsement. “Paxton is a battle-hardened conservative who weathered a politicized impeachment trial and came out stronger than ever.”
The facts on the ground tell an interesting story. Cornyn, a four-term incumbent with deep pockets and name recognition, should be cruising to victory. Instead, he finds himself in a runoff fight that appears to be slipping away. National party committees and outside groups have reportedly scaled back their support as polling consistently shows Paxton with a significant advantage.
What changed? The answer lies in a series of revelations that have emerged about Cornyn’s record during the Trump years. Video clips have surfaced showing Cornyn supporting what many conservatives view as the weaponization of government against President Trump. His backing of the Russia investigation, his votes to confirm officials like Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and Attorney General Merrick Garland, and his support for Special Counsel Jack Smith have all come under scrutiny.
President Trump himself has notably refrained from endorsing Cornyn, despite earlier expectations that he would do so after the primary. The silence speaks volumes in today’s Republican Party.
Paxton has framed his campaign around support for the SAVE AMERICA Act, the voter identification proposal currently stalled in the Senate. He presents himself as a fighter who will use every available tool to advance conservative priorities, pointing to his record as Texas Attorney General as proof of his willingness to take on difficult battles.
The May primary runoff will test whether Texas Republican voters are ready for a change, or whether Cornyn’s experience and establishment support can overcome the momentum building behind Paxton. What is clear is that this race has become a proxy battle for the direction of the Republican Party itself.
Texas has always prided itself on independence and a willingness to chart its own course. Come May, we will see whether that independent streak extends to rejecting a longtime incumbent in favor of a more confrontational approach to conservative politics.
The outcome will reverberate far beyond the borders of Texas.
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