An early May poll commissioned by the American Opportunity Alliance, a major conservative funding group linked to megadonor Paul Singer, shows the Texas Republican down 17 points in a head-to-head primary matchup with state attorney general Ken Paxton.
Among the latter, who made up only 35 percent of voters, Cornyn had a 27-point lead.
The findings reflect a increasingly prominent divide among Republican primary voters in Texas where an insurgent hard-right faction has been steadily gaining ground in recent years while ousting more traditional GOP elected officials.
Despite trailing Paxton significantly, he is still viewed favorably by the Republican primary electorate in the Lone Star State — just not as favorably as the state attorney general.
The poll, conducted from April 29 through May 1 among 800 Republican primary voters, is among a series of public and private surveys all showing Cornyn significantly trailing Paxton.
Sen is the target of MAGA supporters. The reelection campaign of John Cornyn was in a hole the size of Texas.
According to an early May poll commissioned by the American Opportunity Alliance, a significant conservative funding organization associated with megadonor Paul Singer, the Texas Republican is trailing state attorney general Ken Paxton by 17 points in a head-to-head primary contest.
The survey revealed a distinct gap between voters classified as “Trump Movement” and “Traditional Republicans,” below the top line of Paxton’s 52-percent to 35-percent lead. In the former group, which comprised 58 percent of the voters, Paxton was ahead by 45 points. Cornyn had a 27-point lead among the latter, who accounted for just 35% of the vote.
According to the findings, there is a growing gap among Republican primary voters in Texas, where a hard-right insurgent group has been gradually gaining ground and overthrowing more established GOP elected officials in recent years. While Cornyn, who was first elected to the Senate in 2002, is regarded as a cornerstone of the establishment GOP, Paxton, who has been the target of federal investigation and impeachment, has long been a favorite of Texas’ right-wingers.
With a hypothetical three-way contest against GOP Rep. The gap narrowed slightly, with Wesley Hunt, who is considering a bid, trailing Paxton 43 percent to 27 percent, with Hunt taking home 14 percent.
The poll had some positive news for the incumbent. Even though he is far behind Paxton, he is still well-liked by the Lone Star State’s Republican primary voters, albeit not as much as the state attorney general.
800 Republican primary voters participated in the poll, which was taken between April 29 and May 1. It is one of several public and private surveys that indicate Cornyn is far behind Paxton. They have raised concerns among national Republican operatives about the possibility of an unattractive and expensive primary and the potential elevation of a candidate marred by scandal who could be vulnerable in a general election.
The American Opportunity Alliance is one of the major donor consortiums in Republican politics, and some of the largest conservative funders are members of the group, including Singer and Chuck Schwab. Their interest in the race is noteworthy.
