RNC Chairman Joe Gruters declared Texas will remain firmly in Republican hands as Attorney General Ken Paxton faces off against Democratic state representative James Talarico in November's U.S. Senate race. Gruters dismissed any possibility of GOP crossover support for the Democratic challenger.

Republicans Rally Behind Embattled Attorney General

Gruters told Breitbart News that the Republican Party will unite behind Paxton despite his controversial impeachment trial in 2023. The RNC chairman called Talarico's hopes of attracting moderate Republican voters a "pipe dream" and predicted ruby red Texas will reject the Democratic nominee decisively.

Paxton secured the Republican nomination after a contentious primary that saw him facing accusations of misconduct from former staffers. His impeachment acquittal by the Texas Senate allowed him to continue serving as attorney general and launch his Senate campaign to replace the retiring seat.

Polling Shows Competitive Race Despite GOP Confidence

Recent polling suggests a tighter contest than Republicans acknowledge publicly. An August University of Houston survey showed Talarico edging Paxton 42 percent to 39 percent among likely voters, within the poll's margin of error but indicating the race remains competitive.

David Maxwell, a former Texas Ranger and top aide to Paxton, endorsed Talarico on September 8, becoming one of the attorney general's most prominent Republican critics. Maxwell testified against Paxton during the 2023 impeachment proceedings and cited concerns about Paxton's conduct in office as his reason for backing the Democrat.

National Stakes Drive Midterm Battle

The Texas Senate race carries significant implications for Republicans hoping to expand their majority in the upper chamber. Gruters acknowledged that former Senator John Cornyn, who represented Texas for four terms before retiring, was "a great U.S. senator for a long time" but stopped short of saying whether Cornyn would campaign for Paxton.

Texas has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since Lloyd Bentsen in 1988. Republicans maintain that the state's conservative electorate will deliver another victory for the GOP despite recent demographic shifts and closer statewide margins in the 2020 election.