Cornyn Won't Fundraise for Paxton in Texas Senate Race

Senator John Cornyn of Texas said Friday he will not help fundraise for his former primary opponent, Attorney General Ken Paxton, in the general election for his Senate seat, calling Paxton a "poor campaigner" and "lazy" in a move that highlights lingering GOP divisions ahead of a competitive race. In an interview with the Texas Tribune, Cornyn stated he plans to direct his fundraising efforts to other competitive Senate races in states like New Hampshire, Michigan, and Alaska, arguing that Texas can be a "black hole" for campaign cash.

Cornyn, who lost to Paxton by 28 percentage points in the May primary runoff, said Paxton has not made a compelling case to voters and has failed to reach out to his supporters. "I can't tell that any of the supporters of Paxton have done diddly squat to reach out to what I would call mainstream traditional Republicans in Texas," Cornyn said. He suggested that if President Trump, who headlined a Houston fundraiser for Paxton on Thursday, wants Paxton to win, he could financially support the campaign directly. "He could write a check if he wanted Paxton to be the nominee, with all his wrinkles and warts then it's a simple solution to that,"...