Talarico Wins Texas Senate Race, AP Calls

As one GOP strategist bemoaned, every dollar spent holding the seat in Texas was a dollar that was not being used to flip seats in Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, or Georgia. Some estimates pegged a GOP rescue mission at $250 million. Even that whopping figure under-estimated the ultimate cost in a state bigger than most countries in size and population. 

Trump at first refused to endorse either Cornyn or Paxton in the race. Once the primary went to a May runoff, he formally backed Paxton, all but ending Cornyn’s political career. So worried were Republicans about holding the Texas seat that they scheduled the highly unusual midterm political convention in the state to try to gas their base. 

Even after endorsing Paxton, Trump’s support for the nominee was uneven. In speeches, he would waver between championing Paxton and making digs at his likeability and appearance.

Paxton struggled with a clear message in the race. His tenure as the state’s Attorney General—once seen as a strength among a base that loved his fights against Democratic Administrations—became a liability as his accumulation of wealth during his years in public office drew allegations of cronyism. And he refused to debate Talarico, who pushed for such an event, even offering to let Fox News moderate it.