Texas Representative Wesley Hunt (R) announced in a recently released interview that he is entering the Senate race in Texas, joining the already contentious primary contest involving Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) and state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R).
Hunt shared with the Associated Press that, based on the feedback he’s gathered, he believes Texas voters are seeking alternatives.
“I’m going to give them that,” he said.
For several months, Hunt has seemed interested in a Senate run, ramping up ad campaigns in multiple states.
This year, he has invested $1.2 million in ads and reservations, as reported by Adimpact.
Earlier this year, Hunt discussed a potential Senate bid with representatives from the White House, while President Trump mentioned last week that no decisions have been made regarding the primary contenders.
Despite not endorsing a candidate yet, Senate Republican leaders backing Cornyn have advised Hunt against pursuing his Senate ambitions.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) previously advised Hunt’s supporters to discourage him from running, describing his campaign as a “vanity project.” They issued a memo warning that his candidacy could “dilute” party resources and potentially jeopardize party control.
The memo cited six different polls from August, indicating that Paxton was leading by an average of four points, suggesting a “statistical tie” between the Republicans.
“The deficit is gone, but Wesley Hunt continues to perpetuate the misleading narrative he’s been using to justify his ambitions,” the memo stated.
The message continued, “The path forward is clear: Wesley Hunt needs to stop squandering donor resources on his Senate bid, focus instead on reelection in his new district, and support President Trump in gaining five critical seats to maintain a Republican majority in the House.”
While some polls showed Paxton ahead of Cornyn, others indicated that the incumbent senator is starting to close the gap.
A Texas poll released earlier this month revealed Cornyn’s support among registered voters ranged from 26% to 32%, with 29% still undecided.
In another poll from Texas Southern University published in August, Paxton was shown with a lead of 44% to 39% over Cornyn, with an additional 17% of voters undecided. A previous poll from May suggested Paxton was leading Cornyn by nine points.
