Texas Republicans are tearing themselves apart over a Senate primary that pits scandal-plagued culture warrior Ken Paxton against experienced incumbent John Cornyn, with Trump's meddling threatening to hand Democrats their best shot at flipping a seat in decades. The GOP's mid-decade gerrymander reeks of desperation to cling to power, while competitive primaries show Republicans are vulnerable across the state.
Cornyn represents a failed era of Republicans who apologize and lose while Democrats steamroll them, but Texas voters are demanding fighters who will back Trump's agenda without hesitation. Paxton has proven he'll go to the mattresses for conservative values, cracking down on visa fraud and leading the charge while establishment types like Cornyn wait for Trump to leave so they can return to their lovable-loser status.
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