Hunt Enters Texas Senate GOP Primary

Rep. Wesley Hunt, a West Point graduate, Army veteran and Houston-area congressman, announced he is running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Texas against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton. Hunt has run heavy TV advertising, released a family-backed campaign video and says he has millions on hand after nearly $5 million in pre-candidacy ad spending to build statewide name recognition. He frames himself as a “fresh” conservative focused on Texas priorities rather than personal feuds and argues polling and internal data show Cornyn is vulnerable. Recent polls cited before Hunt's launch put Cornyn and Paxton in the low-30s and Hunt in the high teens. His entry increases the likelihood that a March primary will produce no outright winner and trigger a costly May runoff, prompting concern among national Republicans about a multi-stage, resource-draining contest. The Paxton campaign welcomed Hunt’s entry while Cornyn’s team criticized it.