Texas Redistricting Clash Becomes Another Stage In The Gop's Big Senate Primary Fight

As Texas Republicans conflict pinch authorities House Democrats, who fled to artifact nan GOP’s expertise to walk caller legislature maps, there’s an intraparty skirmish proceeding conscionable arsenic fiercely connected nan sidelines: nan state’s contentious Republican Senate primary.

Sen. John Cornyn and authorities Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is challenging Cornyn successful a primary, person spent nan past week making appeals to authorities and national officials aimed astatine putting much unit connected nan Democrats — and feuding pinch each different successful nan process.

The conflict betwixt nan 2 Senate rivals is nan latest enactment successful a fierce battle, arsenic Paxton runs against nan incumbent from his correct flank. It shows really nan 2 men are responding to nan redistricting standoff, pinch each trying to framework himself arsenic nan toughest combatant and nan 1 astir committed to delivering President Donald Trump nan 5 other Republican legislature seats he has said he is “entitled to.”

As authorities lawyer general, Paxton has a nonstop domiciled to play successful this debate, and he has utilized nan powerfulness of his rule enforcement agency to return fierce action against authorities Democratic lawmakers and their allies.

Paxton has petitioned nan authorities Supreme Court to footwear authorities Rep. Gene Wu, nan chair of nan Democratic caucus successful nan authorities House, from office. (Gov. Greg Abbott lodged a akin petition, but Paxton based on that he, not nan governor, is nan 1 who has nan correct to bring specified a charge.) Days later, he asked nan tribunal to footwear 13 much authorities House Democrats.

He’s launched an investigation into wide billionaire George Soros and sued erstwhile Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke, whom he’s accusing of “bribery” for helping to fundraise for nan authorities Democrats. (On Friday, he won a impermanent restraining bid blocking O’Rourke and his group from financially supporting nan Democrats.)

Paxton has besides floated charging nan legislators themselves pinch violating authorities bribery laws. And he revenge a ineligible petition successful Illinois requesting jurisdiction to apprehension nan Democrats who person fled to nan state.

“We are pursuing each ineligible remedy astatine our disposal to clasp these rogue legislators accountable. Texas deserves representatives who do their jobs alternatively of moving distant astatine nan behest of their billionaire handlers. If there’s 1 point Texans can’t guidelines much than losers, it’s cowards,” Paxton said successful a statement.

As a senator, Cornyn has nary specified nonstop domiciled to play successful this governmental and ineligible fight. But he has been wished not to beryllium outdone. Cornyn has pushed nan FBI to assist section rule enforcement’s efforts to find nan Democratic lawmakers, telling NBC News that FBI Director Kash Patel told him he was assigning agents from San Antonio and Austin to “respond to my request.”

(It’s unclear precisely what those agents would really do, and a national rule enforcement supplier told NBC News connected Thursday that FBI agents had yet to return immoderate actions to effort to find nan lawmakers.)

Meanwhile, while Cornyn has been profoundly captious of nan Democrats who near Texas to extremity nan authorities Legislature from proceeding pinch redistricting legislation, he and his run person besides trained their occurrence connected Paxton too.

“Apparently nan lawyer wide is now backmost from his European play picnic and really trying to do his job,” Cornyn told NBC News connected Thursday night, many times returning to disapproval of Paxton passim a 15-minute question and reply astir nan efforts to way down Democrats. He said Paxton was “nowhere to beryllium recovered erstwhile things were processing this week,” lampooning nan lawyer wide for doing interviews from a edifice pinch a “European electrical outlet.”

Cornyn besides revenge a friend-of-the-court little successful support of Abbott’s push to footwear Wu from office, a little he delivered connected U.S. Senate letterhead that included a paragraph criticizing Paxton’s ineligible briefs and actions, arguing that Abbott rightfully revenge his lawsuit because Paxton “delayed taking action.”

Cornyn has been pushing akin messages connected societal media, wherever Paxton has pushed back. On Thursday, Paxton reposted a video of Democratic U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett calling Cornyn personification who “typically useful successful a very bipartisan way,” claiming he was only “doing everything he tin to make it look for illustration he’s a MAGA Republican truthful he tin get done his primary.”

“I’m Ken Paxton and I o.k. this message,” nan lawyer wide wrote connected X, sharing nan video of Crockett.

The Senate superior conflict has go 1 of nan astir contentious midterm predetermination contests successful nan country. Cornyn has many times brought up nan litany of controversies related to nan Texas Legislature’s unsuccessful push to region Paxton from agency 2 years ago, and Paxton has framed Cornyn arsenic insufficiently blimpish and not a existent believer successful Trump, highlighting his past disapproval of nan president.

Both candidates are tying themselves to Trump, who hasn’t weighed successful pinch his endorsement. Cornyn told NBC News past period that he’s talked to nan president “about it a number of times.”

Public surveys person recovered Paxton starring Cornyn successful nan GOP primary, but immoderate Republicans person sounded alarms that Paxton’s controversies would make for a much competitory wide predetermination pinch him arsenic nan nominee.