Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won the Republican Senate runoff Tuesday against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, defeating his primary challenger after a contentious campaign that exposed divisions within the GOP establishment.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee had backed Cornyn in the race and issued multiple statements criticizing Paxton over personal controversies, including his divorce proceedings and questions about property listings used to secure lower interest rates. The committee has since deleted those posts from its website.
What the Left Is Saying
Democrats see opportunity in the NRSC's reversal. The committee's deleted statements included language describing Paxton's conduct as "truly repulsive and disgusting" and accusing him of lying about taxes and personal finances. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee in the race, has sought to capitalize on Republican infighting, though national Republicans have moved quickly to attack his positions rather than engage with the primary results.
The deleted posts also referenced a July 2025 statement from NRSC spokesperson Joanna Rodriguez criticizing Paxton after The Associated Press reported that he and his estranged wife had listed three different properties as their primary residences to obtain lower interest rates. "A lot of people who trust Ken Paxton get lied to, so it isn't shocking to learn he is also cheating on his taxes and personal finances," Rodriguez said at the time.
What the Right Is Saying
Senate Republicans have moved toward unity following Paxton's victory. Cornyn signaled in his concession speech that he would back Paxton in the general election, and several Senate Republicans, including Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), have said they will rally behind the Texas attorney general's candidacy.
The NRSC issued a new statement Tuesday through regional press secretary Samantha Cantrell that avoided direct mention of Cornyn or Paxton. Instead, the committee focused on attacking Talarico as "a radical leftist who thinks God is nonbinary and that Texas should be a welcome mat for illegals." A spokesperson referred questions to that statement when asked about the deleted posts.
What the Numbers Show
Paxton defeated Cornyn in Tuesday's Senate Republican runoff. The NRSC had backed Cornyn with organizational support, while outside groups aligned with former President Donald Trump supported Paxton's campaign. Texas is a deep-red state that Trump won by nearly 14 percentage points in 2024. Republicans currently hold the majority in the Senate.
The deleted posts included statements from July 2025 that remain visible in some search results but redirect to error pages when clicked, displaying an image of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) with the message "You're as lost as they are!"
The Bottom Line
The deleted posts underscore the awkward position the NRSC now finds itself in after backing a losing candidate. Party committees typically rally around primary winners, but Paxton's candidacy presents unique challenges given the controversies that made him a target during the primary.
It remains an open question whether enough of Cornyn's supporters will ultimately get behind Paxton, skip the race on the ballot, or cross party lines to back Talarico in November. Republicans need to hold the Texas seat to maintain their Senate majority.