Ted Cruz has emerged as a central power broker in Texas’s Senate race, throwing his political network and fundraising operation behind fellow Republican Ken Paxton as he seeks to prevent Democrat James Talarico from winning the seat.
The senator stayed neutral during the bitter Republican primary between Paxton and John Cornyn, but moved decisively into the contest after Paxton won the runoff in May. Cruz has since campaigned alongside him, introduced him to donors and acted as an informal adviser.
“It is absolutely critical that Texas stay red, that Republicans keep a majority in the US Senate and the House, and that we elect Ken Paxton instead of James Talarico,” Cruz said. “And so I am all in.”
Cruz’s influence was on display last week when he helped persuade Paxton to attend a Senate town hall organised by the US Hispanic Business Council. Javier Palomarez, the council’s president and chief executive, said he had turned to Cruz because his own background as a Democrat and longtime ally of Cornyn’s had made it difficult to establish trust with Paxton.
“We needed to find common ground and people that he trusted, that I trusted … and that clearly was Ted Cruz,” Mr Palomarez said. “I don’t agree with Ted on a litany of shit, but at the end of the day, the guy’s always been a good partner to me and to the small business community.”
Paxton’s campaign declined to comment.
Ted Cruz builds bridge between donor networks
For years, Cornyn had been a key figure in Texas’s Republican donor network. His absence from the contest has left Cruz with a larger role in connecting established donors to Paxton, whose support is rooted in the party’s hardline Maga wing.
Paxton raised 18 million dollars in the last quarter, with some contributions coming from first-time donors who had been introduced to him by Cruz. A person close to both men, granted anonymity to discuss private conversations, said Cruz regularly told donors in Texas that they needed to support Paxton.
“Ted doesn’t go through a meeting in Texas where he’s not telling donors they’ve got to get on board,” the person said.
Cruz said he had held “hundreds of conversations” with donors and believed he could bring together supporters of Paxton and Cornyn.
“The case I’ve been making to donors who previously supported John Cornyn is, at this point, it’s a binary choice, and I think the choice is very clear,” he said. “Many, if not most, of the longtime Paxton donors are also supporters of mine, but many, if not most, of the longtime Cornyn donors are supporters of mine, as well. And so I do think I’m able to bridge those two worlds.”
Within a week of Paxton’s primary victory, Cruz hosted a fundraiser for him in Washington and urged Republicans to unite behind the party’s nominee. He then joined Paxton on a single-day tour of Dallas, Houston and Midland to meet donors, saying the events produced 3 million dollars in donations.
Cruz has also repeatedly criticised Talarico on his podcast. His political action committee, Truth and Courage, was among the first groups to advertise for Paxton, reserving more than 2 million dollars for an advert attacking the Democrat. That spending was later overtaken by larger purchases from the Senate Leadership Fund and other Republican groups.
Two people familiar with the men’s conversations said Cruz had been speaking regularly with Paxton in an advisory capacity. Their political networks also overlap: Axiom Strategies, the Republican firm run by Jeff Roe, who managed Cruz’s 2016 presidential campaign, has worked with both men.
Nick Maddux, a senior adviser to Paxton’s campaign, previously held prominent roles in Cruz’s 2018 and 2024 re-election efforts. Sam Cooper, another longtime Cruz adviser, is now a senior strategist at the pro-Paxton Lone Star Liberty PAC.
Paxton defeat could carry political cost
Cruz’s intervention may strengthen his standing among Paxton’s supporters and broaden his influence across the Texas Republican Party. It could also raise his national profile ahead of a possible presidential campaign in 2028.
But the strategy carries a risk if Paxton loses. Paxton is behind in most recent polls, while Democrats believe the race offers one of their strongest opportunities to take a Texas Senate seat.
One veteran Texas Republican strategist, who is not affiliated with either candidate, said Cruz’s involvement was politically calculated because it established him as the figure who had stood by Paxton and could help him claim credit for uniting the state’s Republicans.
“This is smart on Ted’s part,” the strategist said. “It cements him with Paxton supporters as being the guy who stood up for him, and it allows him to expand his reach and have a greater claim on having a unified Texas behind him if he makes a run in 2028.”
However, the strategist added: “If Paxton loses, he put his best foot forward, and it’s going to be Paxton’s fault that he lost, not Ted Cruz’s.”
Cruz has also hosted fundraising events for Paxton on Zoom and in person. One gathering, held by Cruz’s political action committee during the Republican midterm convention, took place in a Dallas high-rise apartment, where the crowd was so large that some Paxton staff members worked from the balcony.
“It was incredibly well attended,” said Representative Randy Fine, a Republican from Florida who spoke at the event. “You couldn’t move.”
