Even so, Talarico might be the Texas Unicorn that Democrats have been seeking for decades. (To appreciate his talents, check out my dispatch from February about his faith-driven crusade.)
Institutional Republicans are cheering on Cornyn for a fifth term. Yet he struggled in a three-way Republican primary, snagging just 42% of the vote against Paxton’s 41%. (A third candidate, Rep. Wesley Hunt, logged 14%; D.C. insiders from both Cornyn and Paxton camps today openly muse why Hunt thought a Trump endorsement was in the offing.)
Cornyn and Paxton face each other on May 26 for a GOP runoff.
Two other primaries to watch: Georgia and Louisiana
Georgia is one of Republicans’ best pick-up chances. Louisiana is one of their safest holds. And, yet in both, party insiders are dreading the impact of the White House.
A three-way race in Georgia is leaving the Republican Party without a nominee at the moment. Congressmen Buddy Carter and Mike Collins are the favorites of the Washington crowd. Former Tennessee Vols’ coach Derek Dooley is in the mix, too, and seems to have Trump’s interest. Party insiders say none appear unelectable, unlike the 2022 chaos that came when former NFL star Herschel Walker won the Senate nomination only to be dogged for months with embarrassing stories. (After Walker lost a winnable Senate seat, Trump named him the United States’ ambassador to the Bahamas.) A collaborative cross-vetting confirmed none of the three current candidates are disasters, and the timbre is one of rivalry and not scorched earth.
