Runoff day is finally here in Texas, where Donald Trump may be set to complete another stop on his Republican revenge tour.
Sen. John Cornyn has been locked for months in a brutal showdown with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a far-right firebrand who has torn down the senator's image as a loyal conservative.
Paxton's popularity with MAGA Republicans is possibly outpaced only by his tendency to attract scandal and controversy to his name. He was investigated by the FBI, nearly impeached by his own party in the state legislature, and is currently going through some very messy (and public) divorce proceedings.
This could be a blowout. Polls have shown Paxton leading Cornyn for months, even before the race turned into a two-candidate runoff. He's still leading the senator by double digits in some surveys.
What does that mean for the Republican Party?
Long term, Cornyn's defeat will likely make GOP electeds in Washington even more afraid of speaking out against the president. Trump's endorsement of Paxton over Cornyn stemmed, in Trump's words, from Cornyn's own delayed endorsement of the president's campaign in 2024.
But short term, it could mean even more problems for Donald Trump on Capitol Hill, where Republicans in both chambers are already beginning to revolt against the White House.
Cornyn is the second incumbent Republican senator to face down a Trump-endorsed primary candidate this cycle. The first target, Sen. Bill Cassidy, lost his own primary earlier in May. And last week, he became the last Republican defection which finally pushed a War Powers resolution over the finish line in the Senate, delivering a rare defeat for the White House.
After tonight, Cornyn could be similarly unchained from the party line.
Read more here.
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