‘He wants me to lose’: Paxton complains about lack of support from Cornyn in leaked audio

Sandego.net – “He wants me to lose,” Ken Paxton said of Sen. John Cornyn in a leaked recording from a September fundraiser, according to CNN. The private remarks reveal Paxton’s frustration with Cornyn’s limited involvement after their hard-fought Republican primary runoff in Texas’ Senate race.

Paxton, the Texas attorney general, has publicly said he would welcome Cornyn’s support. But in the recording, obtained by CNN from an attendee who opposes Paxton, he said Cornyn was “clearly not helping” his campaign as Republicans work to defeat Democratic state Rep. James Talarico.

Paxton says Cornyn wants him to lose

The comments came during a September 24 gathering in Washington, according to two people familiar with the discussion. Paxton was asked about Rep. Jasmine Crockett, whom Talarico defeated in the primary, and said he did not know how much influence she had on voters.

“I mean maybe a little bit around the margins, just like Cornyn, basically how much he affects me,” Paxton said before adding, “He wants me to lose.” Crockett has not campaigned for Talarico, according to the report.

Paxton then described an alleged encounter between a friend and Cornyn at a Dallas restaurant. He said the friend bought dessert for Cornyn’s table and thanked the senator for supporting the Republican ticket and Paxton. According to Paxton, Cornyn reacted angrily and predicted that Paxton would lose.

“We need to teach those Republicans a lesson,” Paxton said Cornyn told the friend, according to the recording.

CNN said it had not independently confirmed Paxton’s account. Cornyn representative Rob Jesmer disputed it, saying the restaurant conversation did not occur.

Cornyn’s office disputes the account

Jesmer said Cornyn supports the Republican ticket and argued that the senator would be more active if he truly wanted Paxton to lose. Paxton’s campaign called the report “a story that doesn’t exist,” while saying Paxton had called, texted and offered to speak with Cornyn.

Paxton senior adviser Nick Maddux said Paxton appreciates Cornyn’s decades of service to Texas and hopes he will help Republicans protect their Senate majority. The lobbyists who hosted the fundraiser, Chris Brinson and Susan Hirschmann, did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment, nor did Talarico’s campaign.

A spokesperson for Crockett contrasted her response to her own primary defeat with Cornyn’s posture toward Paxton. The spokesperson said Crockett endorsed Talarico on March 4 and has continued working to support Democrats nationwide.

Republican divisions remain a challenge

The dispute comes as Texas becomes increasingly important to Republican hopes of retaining the Senate. Republicans have spent more than $100 million on the general election, while polls have shown a close contest in a state that has not elected a Democrat to statewide office since 1994.

A Paxton campaign memo reported by Punchbowl News described the campaign’s biggest challenge as rebuilding support among Republicans after the bruising primary. A Fox News poll conducted late last month found that nearly one-third of likely Republican voters viewed Paxton unfavorably, even though he was winning most GOP voters.

The recording is at least the fifth clip leaked from the September fundraiser. Other recordings have included Paxton criticizing the GOP’s midterm convention and saying outside groups had taken control of much of the campaign spending. President Donald Trump, who endorsed Paxton in the primary, said he had no regrets about that endorsement.

Texas Senate race FAQ

What did Paxton mean by “He wants me to lose”?

Paxton was referring to Cornyn’s perceived lack of campaign support and alleged that the senator was trying to punish Republicans who backed Paxton in the primary. Cornyn’s representative rejected Paxton’s description of events.

Has Cornyn endorsed the Republican ticket?

Cornyn’s representative said the senator supports the Republican ticket, though Cornyn has not taken the level of campaign activity Paxton says he wants.

Why does the Texas race matter nationally?

Texas is central to the battle for control of the U.S. Senate. Republicans are seeking to preserve their majority while Democrats aim to compete in a statewide race in Texas.