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Black America Web
3 days ago
- Politics
- Black America Web
US Senator John Cornyn, FBI Team Up To Hunt Texas Democrats
Source: The Washington Post / Getty Earlier this week, Texas Democrats fled the state to prevent a vote on a new electoral map that would add five new Republican seats in the state. There have been threats of arrest, expulsion, and now U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R) has called on the FBI to find the fleeing legislators. According to ABC News, Sen. Cornyn said FBI Director Kash Patel has agreed to provide federal assistance to locate the Texas Democrats who fled the state on Sunday. The Texas Democrats left in order to deny state Republicans the quorum needed to vote on the new map. Texas Republicans began the unusual process of a mid-decade redistricting at the behest of President Donald Trump, who wants the GOP to hold onto its narrow House majority during next year's midterms. 'I thank President Trump and Director Patel for supporting and swiftly acting on my call for the federal government to hold these supposed lawmakers accountable for fleeing Texas. We cannot allow these rogue legislators to avoid their constitutional responsibilities,' Cornyn said in a news release. We care about your data. See our privacy policy. I'm really getting tired of Republicans talking about 'constitutional responsibilities' when they're trying to disenfranchise people who won't vote for them. Cornyn appeared on The Mark Davis Show on Thursday and said the absence of Texas Democrats is stalling other legislation from going forward, including relief for the devastating floods that hit Texas last month. 'There are a number of things on the call that Gov. Abbott has listed, including redistricting, but they're missing all of those. And I think that's irresponsible, and I think we just need to get to the bottom of it,' Cornyn said. 'They got to come back home sometime … it's not going to be successful. They're not going to be able to ultimately escape their responsibility. It's a stunt.' While Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called the special legislative session to address the floods, the state Republicans' first order of business was drafting a gerrymandered map. Putting the lack of flood relief on the Democrats who left the state in protest of a blatantly undemocratic redistricting effort is disingenuous. If flood relief were truly the priority, that would've been the first thing on the docket. It doesn't even seem like it's a priority for Gov. Abbot as no one representing his office attended a committee meeting on Tuesday to discuss flood relief legislation. Beyond the clear gerrymandering, I simply find it funny how the Republican party is so mad over the Texas Democrats obstructing the process, considering they wrote the rule book on legislative obstruction. Throughout all eight years of Obama's presidency, the Republican Party did everything it could to obstruct his policies from going through. Heck, they straight up stole a Supreme Court seat in 2016 by refusing to hold a confirmation hearing for Obama's nominee Merrick Garland. They justified this obstruction by arguing it was an election year and voters should decide who fills the vacancy. This energy was nowhere to be found in 2020 when Republicans rushed to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat only 38 days away from the election. Now, when the shoe is on the other foot, it's a rebuke of their 'constitutional responsibilities?' They can miss me with that. No matter how this ends, Texas Democrats are setting an example on how the party should handle Republican nonsense nationwide. You don't have to play ball with these people, especially as they're actively warping America into an authoritarian hellscape. Democrats should be obstructing these people as much as and however they can. SEE ALSO: Texas Creates 5 New House Seats In Areas Trump Won In 2024 Texas Dems Fight Redistricting Effort Through Filibusters Texas State Dems Break Quorum To Prevent Redistricting Vote Critics Call Texas Governor's New Congressional Map Gerrymandering Gov. Greg Abbott Orders Arrest Of Texas Democrats Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Sues To Remove Democratic Rep In Redistricting Fight SEE ALSO US Senator John Cornyn, FBI Team Up To Hunt Texas Democrats was originally published on
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
TribCast: What's next for Republicans?
Eleanor is joined by Tribune politics editor Jasper Scherer and fellow radio-head Mark Davis, host of The Mark Davis Show on 660 AM The Answer in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, to talk about the GOP's outlook for 2026. The gang breaks down why 2024 was such a good year for Republicans, why 2026 might defy conventional midterm wisdom and whether there's a scandal out there that could imperil Attorney General Ken Paxton's support in Texas. Watch the video above, or subscribe to the TribCast on iTunes, Spotify, or RSS. New episodes every Tuesday. This week's episode of the TribCast is supported by members of the Texas Tribune. Texas needs trusted journalism. Help sustain fact-based reporting with your donation. Become a member of The Texas Tribune today at The lineup for The Texas Tribune Festival continues to grow! Be there when all-star leaders, innovators and newsmakers take the stage in downtown Austin, Nov. 13–15. The newest additions include comedian, actor and writer John Mulaney; Dallas mayor Eric Johnson; U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota; New York Media Editor-at-Large Kara Swisher; and U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso. Get your tickets today! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cornyn, Paxton trade attacks early in closely watched Texas GOP Senate primary
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A supercharged U.S. Senate GOP primary in Texas between Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton is kicking off with personal attacks and expectations of a high-spending race in a year when Senate Republicans will be defending key seats and targeting others in 2026. 'We're going to end up spending hundreds of millions of dollars potentially on this race in Texas because we can't lose the seat in Texas, and that is money that can't be used in places like Michigan, New Hampshire and Georgia," Cornyn told reporters Wednesday. He went on to call Paxton a 'conman and a fraud" in remarks that set the stage for a bitter campaign in the months ahead. The feud is not new: Cornyn, who lost a bid for Senate majority leader last year, is among the few prominent Republicans who has criticized Paxton over legal troubles that once threatened the career of Texas' top law enforcement official. Paxton, a close ally of President Donald Trump who was first elected to the Texas statehouse in 2002, is starting his campaign by framing himself an outsider and telling voters on his website that he will take on 'career politicians' in Washington. Among Paxton's recurring criticisms of Cornyn — who has served in Congress since 2002 — was the senator's support of a bipartisan gun control bill after the 2022 elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in which a teenage gunman killed 19 students and two teachers. Looming over the race is if Trump will make an endorsement. Paxton said Wednesday he doesn't expect the president to weigh in until closer to election day. 'I would certainly love to have President Trump's endorsement. I think I would be the death knell to John Cornyn,' he said in an interview on The Mark Davis Show. Paxton has built a loyal following within the Texas GOP's hard right that supported him during a historic Republican-led impeachment in 2023 over accusations of corruption and bribery. Trump at the time slammed the proceedings and Paxton was later acquitted in the Texas Senate. Statewide campaigns in Texas are already among the most expensive in the country. Last year, Republicans spent $87 million helping defend Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in his race against Democrat Colin Allred, including $75 million from a super PAC supporting Cruz, according to Federal Elections Commission filings. Allred, who lost by more than 8 percentage points, has not ruled out another Senate run after Democrats spent more than $130 million last year trying to elect him. Among Cornyn allies, there is concern that Paxton would be vulnerable and require millions more dollars in advertising that GOP donors otherwise could apply to those other races, instead of to defend a seat in a Republican-leaning state like Texas. Nationally, Republicans see an opportunity next year to expand their 53-47 majority in the Senate. They see pickup opportunities in three swing states where Democrats have announced retirements: New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Michigan Sen. Gary Peters and Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith. The GOP is also optimistic about the party's chances in Georgia, where Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff is up for reelection. No Democrat has yet entered the Senate race in Texas. Paxton's entry into the race underscores his political resiliency after being shadowed by his impeachment, an FBI corruption investigation and securities fraud charges in recent years. He reached a deal to end the securities fraud case last year and the Biden administration declined to prosecute Paxton. During Paxton's last campaign run for attorney general in 2022, George P. Bush, the son of former presidential candidate Jeb Bush, also drew attention to Paxton's legal troubles. Paxton wound up defeating Bush by nearly 40 points in a runoff. ___ Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa. ___ Lathan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Associated Press
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Cornyn, Paxton trade attacks early in closely watched Texas GOP Senate primary
By and THOMAS BEAUMONT AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A supercharged U.S. Senate GOP primary in Texas between Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton is kicking off with personal attacks and expectations of a high-spending race in a year when Senate Republicans will be defending key seats and targeting others in 2026. 'We're going to end up spending hundreds of millions of dollars potentially on this race in Texas because we can't lose the seat in Texas, and that is money that can't be used in places like Michigan, New Hampshire and Georgia,' Cornyn told reporters Wednesday. He went on to call Paxton a 'conman and a fraud' in remarks that set the stage for a bitter campaign in the months ahead. The feud is not new: Cornyn, who lost a bid for Senate majority leader last year, is among the few prominent Republicans who has criticized Paxton over legal troubles that once threatened the career of Texas' top law enforcement official. Paxton, a close ally of President Donald Trump who was first elected to the Texas statehouse in 2002, is starting his campaign by framing himself an outsider and telling voters on his website that he will take on 'career politicians' in Washington. Among Paxton's recurring criticisms of Cornyn — who has served in Congress since 2002 — was the senator's support of a bipartisan gun control bill after the 2022 elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in which a teenage gunman killed 19 students and two teachers. Looming over the race is if Trump will make an endorsement. Paxton said Wednesday he doesn't expect the president to weigh in until closer to election day. 'I would certainly love to have President Trump's endorsement. I think I would be the death knell to John Cornyn,' he said in an interview on The Mark Davis Show. Paxton has built a loyal following within the Texas GOP's hard right that supported him during a historic Republican-led impeachment in 2023 over accusations of corruption and bribery. Trump at the time slammed the proceedings and Paxton was later acquitted in the Texas Senate. Statewide campaigns in Texas are already among the most expensive in the country. Last year, Republicans spent $87 million helping defend Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in his race against Democrat Colin Allred, including $75 million from a super PAC supporting Cruz, according to Federal Elections Commission filings. Allred, who lost by more than 8 percentage points, has not ruled out another Senate run after Democrats spent more than $130 million last year trying to elect him. Among Cornyn allies, there is concern that Paxton would be vulnerable and require millions more dollars in advertising that GOP donors otherwise could apply to those other races, instead of to defend a seat in a Republican-leaning state like Texas. Nationally, Republicans see an opportunity next year to expand their 53-47 majority in the Senate. They see pickup opportunities in three swing states where Democrats have announced retirements: New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Michigan Sen. Gary Peters and Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith. The GOP is also optimistic about the party's chances in Georgia, where Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff is up for reelection. No Democrat has yet entered the Senate race in Texas. Paxton's entry into the race underscores his political resiliency after being shadowed by his impeachment, an FBI corruption investigation and securities fraud charges in recent years. He reached a deal to end the securities fraud case last year and the Biden administration declined to prosecute Paxton. During Paxton's last campaign run for attorney general in 2022, George P. Bush, the son of former presidential candidate Jeb Bush, also drew attention to Paxton's legal troubles. Paxton wound up defeating Bush by nearly 40 points in a runoff. ___
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Con man' vs. 'anti-Trump': Years of Republican fighting fuel a nasty Senate primary in Texas
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's attempt to topple Republican Sen. John Cornyn in a Senate primary next year kicks off one of the most intense contests of the 2026 elections — a GOP-versus-GOP battle between two men who have been sparring for years and vying for President Donald Trump's attention. Cornyn is a fixture of the Republican Party in Texas, serving in its highest offices for more than 30 years and becoming a key voice on Capitol Hill. Paxton, the third-term attorney general who survived a bipartisan impeachment last year in part thanks to support from Trump and conservative activist allies, believes there's an opening to cut the incumbent down from the right. Now, both sides are aligning themselves with Trump amid the possibility of an endorsement that could tip the primary. Whether one comes or not, one thing is clear. 'This is gonna be the nastiest race in the modern era of Texas politics, period,' former Travis County GOP chairman Matt Mackowiak said. Paxton immediately attacked Cornyn for having 'turned his back on President Trump,' pointing to comments Cornyn made in 2023 about Trump's indictment over his handling of classified documents, as well as the senator's comments that he didn't think Trump 'could win the presidency' after Trump was found liable for sexual abuse in a civil case that same year. Paxton has also targeted Cornyn over his votes on issues including guns and immigration to try to argue that he is more aligned with conservative values. 'While John was criticizing Trump and suggesting he shouldn't run, I was at Mar-a-Lago' for Trump's presidential announcement speech, Paxton told 'The Mark Davis Show' in Dallas. "If he had the record of [Texas GOP Sen.] Ted Cruz, would I be here? Absolutely not," Paxton continued. "This isn't about what he's saying and the love he suddenly has for President Trump and the love he has for all of our issues now. This isn't about that love. I don't believe that love, I believe in action." Cornyn, though, also made an appeal to Trump's interests, telling reporters at the Capitol on Wednesday that Paxton's Senate bid is a 'con man's vanity project.' 'The biggest potential loser is President Trump's agenda,' Cornyn said of the primary challenge against him. 'Mr. Paxton has a checkered background, he is a con man and a fraud and I think the people of Texas know that, but this is what will be litigated during the course of this campaign. I am not going to turn over the Senate seat that was once held by Sam Houston to someone like him,' he added, a reference to the 2023 impeachment trial of Paxton, after which he survived a conviction vote in the state Senate. 'It's unclear to me exactly what is motivating Mr. Paxton other than vanity and personal ambition,' Cornyn continued. In the months before Paxton jumped in — and in the hours since — Cornyn has made clear he's hugging Trump as tight as he can. He posted on X a photo of him reading Trump's 'The Art of the Deal' and called it 'recommended' reading; he took to the Senate floor to defend Trump aide and billionaire Elon Musk (whose businesses have a significant footprint in Texas) after protests at Tesla dealerships; and he has been framing himself as one of Trump's top allies in the Senate. The roots of this clash between another establishment-insurgent pair of Republicans run deep, part of a decade-plus battle within the Texas GOP that has ousted legislative leaders, fueled Cruz's rise, fanned the flames of Paxton's impeachment, and led to proxy wars up and down the ballot. Paxton had been telegraphing a run against Cornyn from the right for more than a year. In early 2024, Paxton lambasted the senator as 'anti-Trump [and] anti-gun' in a post on X, adding that 'Texans deserve another conservative Senator.' Cornyn reposted the message and replied: 'Hard to run from prison, Ken,' a reference to the investigations that led to the impeachment trial. (The Associated Press reported this month that the Justice Department decided last year not to prosecute Paxton over corruption allegations.) Brendan Steinhauser, a longtime GOP consultant who served as Cornyn's campaign manager in the past but is unaffiliated in this race, told NBC News it's no surprise to see Cornyn campaign with an eye on Trump. 'If you're Senator Cornyn, you're going to be campaigning on all the ways that you have supported and worked with the president, you're going to talk about all the policies where you align, you're going to talk about helping to get all of his judicial nominees through,' he said. While a potential endorsement from Trump remains a major question, Cornyn does have support from Senate Republicans. Sen. Tim Scott, of South Carolina, who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has made his case for Cornyn to White House officials. Scott also told Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, who has also been weighing a Senate run, that the NRSC is behind Cornyn, according to a source familiar with the discussions. 'John Cornyn is a leader who delivers on President Trump's agenda and for the people of Texas in the U.S. Senate,' Scott said in a statement to NBC News. 'He's a proven fighter, man of faith and essential part of the Republican Senate Majority.' Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has also been publicly backing Cornyn and recently told CNN he was hopeful Trump would back Cornyn in the race. Asked Wednesday if he has personally asked Trump to endorse Cornyn, Thune told reporters at the Capitol: 'Well, we're having conversations about all of the races on the map. When we have anything to report, we'll let you know.' Senate Leadership Fund, the main GOP super PAC involved in Senate races, which is aligned with Republican leadership, indicated it is also in Cornyn's corner. "Leader John Thune, NRSC Chairman Tim Scott, and many of their colleagues have expressed great admiration and support for Senator John Cornyn and his years of service to the people of Texas," SLF Chairman Cory Gardner, a former Colorado senator, said in a statement to NBC News. "The Senate Leadership Fund fully intends on seeing him reelected next November." Mackowiak, a longtime Texas political consultant, told NBC News that he sees Paxton's early announcement as an indication of two things: The attorney general sees an opening, but he knows he needs time to raise the money required to combat Cornyn and the power of incumbency. 'Paxton's never run a race this complicated, this expensive against someone as accomplished and serious as John Cornyn," he said. "John Cornyn has never been challenged by someone that has the statewide profile and grassroots enthusiasm Paxton has." But Mackowiak argued that while Paxton has sought to go on offense early, that dynamic may not stick, and that the events that led to Paxton's impeachment trial (which divided Republicans in the state) will likely be relitigated. 'He is going to be playing a lot more defense than he even understands. I think because he got through impeachment, these issues are behind him. They're not,' he said. One potential wrinkle, particularly if Hunt or another Republican decides to jump in, is Texas' runoff rules. If no candidate wins the majority of the vote in the primary, the top two move on to a one-on-one runoff election. Cornyn has never lost an election in Texas, and he's never been forced to a runoff by any of his opponents (who have largely challenged him from the right). But the prospect of a split field leading to a runoff is another complicating factor, with both Mackowiak and Steinhauser noting that runoff electorates typically favor the candidate with more grassroots conservative support. The Texas race could have broader implications for the fight for the Senate next year as Republicans look to defend their slim majority. Democrats need to net three seats to take control of the Senate, but they face an uphill battle with a short list of targets. Just one Republican — Maine's Susan Collins — is running in a state that former Vice President Kamala Harris carried in November. Republicans, meanwhile, are looking to grow their majority by targeting Democratic-held seats in battleground states. But Cornyn said a competitive election in Texas could put a strain on Republicans nationally by diverting money away from other key battlegrounds. 'We're going to end up spending hundreds of millions of dollars, potentially, on this race in Texas, because we can't lose the seat in Texas,' said Cornyn, a former NRSC chairman. 'And that is money that can't be used in places like Michigan, New Hampshire and Georgia in the midterm elections.' Democrats have long coveted the idea of flipping Texas, with former Rep. Beto O'Rourke coming close to defeating Cruz in the blue wave year of 2018. But Trump expanded his margin last year in Texas compared to 2020, carrying Texas by 14 percentage points as Cruz defeated former Democratic Rep. Colin Allred by 9 points. Allred told The Dallas Morning News last month that he is 'seriously considering' another run for Senate against Cornyn. Cruz, meanwhile, told reporters Wednesday that he is staying neutral in this year's Senate primary, saying both Paxton and Cornyn are friends. 'I have worked closely with both of them. I respect them both,' Cruz said. 'And I trust the voters of Texas to make that decision.' A divisive GOP primary could play into Democrats' hands — especially if Paxton is the nominee. In the meantime, Democrats are watching the GOP primary process play out in Texas and other states. Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson Maeve Coyle noted that former New Hampshire GOP Gov. Chris Sununu announced Tuesday that he would not be running for that state's open Senate seat. 'As Republicans face a nasty primary in Texas and an embarrassing recruitment failure in New Hampshire — coupled with a building midterm backlash across the map driven by their threats to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and their push to spike costs for families — Democrats will look for every opportunity to put them on defense,' Coyle said. This article was originally published on
