Senate Republicans are making a sudden about-face on Ken Paxton, moving aggressively to support the Texas attorney general after he secured the Republican nomination in what has become a genuinely competitive general election matchup.
The shift marks a striking reversal from the primary phase, when GOP senators had leveled attacks against Paxton. Now, facing a tougher-than-expected general election landscape, party leadership has opted to consolidate behind him rather than maintain distance.
The change in posture reflects the broader political calculus within the Republican Party: while Paxton's nomination may have triggered reservations among some senators, the prospect of losing a statewide office in Texas to a Democratic challenger has overshadowed those earlier objections.
For Paxton, the backing from Senate Republicans provides crucial financial and organizational support as he heads into the final stretch of campaigning. The endorsements carry weight both on the campaign trail and among donors who may have been hesitant given the intraparty friction.
The race itself has drawn national attention, with both candidates competing for independent voters and persuadable Republicans in a state that has remained solidly Republican in recent cycles but shows signs of demographic shifting.
Paxton now enters the general election with his party's establishment firmly in his corner, a dramatic change from the competitive primary dynamics that had produced significant skepticism about his candidacy.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Sometimes party unity matters more than primary principles, and Texas Republicans just made clear that winning the seat beats settling scores."
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