The latest Paxton-Cornyn ad dustup is an ominous sign for the Texas GOP

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has expressed a desire to conclude his campaign on a “positive” note. In contrast, Sen. John Cornyn is ready to continue his fight.

Paxton announced on Thursday his decision to withdraw negative advertisements targeting Cornyn in the final days leading up to their intense GOP primary contest for Texas’ Senate seat. This decision reflects the confidence of the MAGA supporter, who has the backing of President Donald Trump, in securing the Republican nomination.

Cornyn, however, facing a challenging path to retain his seat, declared his intention to maintain his attacks, focusing on Paxton’s extensive history of personal and political controversies.

This campaign, marked by personal attacks, highlights the challenging situation for the Texas GOP as the runoff election approaches. The contest between Paxton and Cornyn has intensified divisions within the party, exacerbating tensions between the MAGA faction and the establishment. The acrimonious nature of the race has some Republicans worried that it might reduce voter turnout in the midterms, affect other Republican candidates, and potentially jeopardize the seat.

Paxton’s decision followed a request from Texas GOP Chair Abraham George, a fellow conservative hardliner, who urged the candidates to move past their conflict to focus on retaining the seat for the party. Paxton, who criticized Cornyn for his age, announced on X that his campaign has “already changed our TV ad traffic starting today to ensure our campaign ends on a positive note and that we can focus on beating the leftist lunatic in the fall,” referring to Democratic nominee James Talarico.

He challenged Cornyn “to do the same for the good of our party.” A Super PAC supporting Paxton, Lone Star Liberty, also declared on Tuesday it would cease its negative ads.

Cornyn respondedin a post on X asserting that Paxton is “desperate to avoid accountability” and detailed the severity of his ongoing advertisements. He emphasized the need for voters to be informed “that you plea bargained with a child sex offender, offering them only one day in prison and no sex offender registry as a favor” to a donor, referencing a recent report by the Texas Tribune about a plea deal Paxton made involving a man charged with sexual abuse.

Cornyn and his supporters have invested millions in harsh, personal ads to defeat Paxton — utilizing a wealth of material. Paxton has faced an impeachment attempt by the state legislature, ethics complaints from his staff, and a federal securities fraud investigation. Additionally, he is undergoing a divorce filed by his wife on “biblical grounds.”

There is mounting concern among Republicans that if Paxton secures the nomination, the seat could be at risk due to his significant personal and political issues, prompting plans to spend over $100 million to support him in the general election. Although Cornyn narrowly led Paxton in the March primary, Trump’s endorsement strengthens Paxton’s position to potentially overcome that margin.

“We are going to continue to tell the truth about Paxton,” Cornyn remarked in another post. “He’s escaped accountability for too long. Judgment day is coming.”