Texas Republicans are fighting to keep control in the state, with U.S. Sen. John Cornyn warning that down-ballot GOP seats could be at risk if his Republican opponent Attorney General Ken Paxton were the nominee. Paxton won the May 26 primary runoff, and Republicans are now calling for unity as they try to keep Cornyn’s prediction from becoming a reality.

Local Angle

The local angle is crucial in this election, with several statewide races being monitored in the months leading up to Nov. 3. The U.S. Senate race between Paxton and state Rep. James Talarico, an Austin area Democrat, is the marquee race in Texas’ November general election.

Recent polls have put Talarico ahead of Paxton in November. The Cook Political Report still has the statewide office in the red column, but shifted it from a ‘Likely Republican’ seat to a ‘Lean Republican’ seat after Paxton won the primary runoff.

Statewide Races

Texas’ full slate of statewide elected offices is on the November ballot: governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, general land office commissioner, agriculture commissioner, and railroad commissioner. Several of these seats are without an incumbent, warranting a closer watch in the November general election.

Experts also mentioned races in Congressional Districts 15, 23, and 28 as ones to watch, especially with Paxton on the ballot. A report circulated by a pro-Cornyn political committee ahead of the runoff that projected several seats could be vulnerable with Paxton as the nominee, including U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne’s Congressional District 24.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.