NRSC deletes – The National Republican Senatorial Committee has removed multiple statements criticizing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, replacing its public stance with support ahead of the November midterm election. The deletions come as Paxton enters the general electio
On Tuesday night, a quiet change on the National Republican Senatorial Committee website carried a lot of political weight. At least four statements about Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton were deleted. and the links now return a 404 error—replacing the content with an image of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and current Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
The timing matters. Paxton’s path through the Lone Star State’s GOP runoff accelerated after President Donald Trump endorsed him. That support helped him move toward not only winning Tuesday, but doing so with what was described as a decisive victory over 23-year Senator John Cornyn.
But Paxton’s own history has long made Republicans uneasy about his viability in November. With control of the Senate on the line. Republicans are now confronting a race in which Democrat James Talarico is described as neck and neck with Paxton. Against that backdrop. the NRSC has moved to back him—an abrupt pivot following months and years of sharper internal scrutiny.
A statement released Tuesday night by NRSC Regional Press Secretary Samantha Cantrell made the new stance clear. She argued. in direct terms. that a Trump-won Texas wouldn’t elect Talarico. describing him as a “radical leftist” who believes God is nonbinary and that Texas should be a welcome mat for illegals. She called him “the most dangerous flank of the far left. ” and said Texas isn’t swapping brisket for open borders.
That shift sits alongside the material that was removed from the NRSC site.
One July 24. 2025. statement called out Paxton’s “lies and incompetence” involving potentially committing mortgage fraud after he declared three of his Texas homes as primary residences. In that same statement. NRSC Communications Director Joanna Rodriguez said. “A lot of people who trust Ken Paxton get lied to. so it isn’t shocking to learn he is also cheating on his taxes and personal finances. ” adding that “Ken Paxton’s betrayals of the public trust just keep coming.”.
The NRSC also posted a separate July 2025 statement criticizing Paxton over allegations of adultery in his marriage. including a claimed affair with a staffer. That statement was issued in support of Paxton’s wife, Angela, after she filed for divorce. Rodriguez said at the time, “What Ken Paxton has put his family through is truly repulsive and disgusting. No one should have to endure what Angela Paxton has. and we pray for her as she chooses to stand up for herself and her family during this difficult time.”.
In October 30. 2025 messaging. the committee argued Paxton was “standing in Conservatives’ way.” Rodriguez. in that material. said Texas needed a “strong. conservative Senator” rather than an “incompetent” Paxton who “drags his feet” on issues Republicans wanted to fix. Paxton was targeted there for a list of actions and positions the NRSC said undermined conservative priorities.
Those points included the claim that Paxton waited more than two years to file a lawsuit against an independent school district teaching critical race theory. The NRSC also said that while President Trump brought American manufacturing back to Texas. Paxton filed a lawsuit against the company investing $5.9 billion in Houston.
The removed statements also accused Paxton of delay and wavering on school vouchers. The committee said Paxton “urged patience on the issue of” school vouchers and told voters he didn’t know whether he would support them. The NRSC said Paxton supported a school voucher ban.
The committee further argued that Paxton’s record cut against immigrant-safety rhetoric. saying Paxton’s work left American citizens 26 percent more likely to be convicted of homicide than illegal immigrants. per the Cato Institute. The NRSC also said that even as he championed school choice, Paxton went after 13 Texas private schools for fraud.
Another April 2025 statement was also deleted from the website. That criticism came after a report that Paxton used taxpayer dollars to buy hotel rooms for campaign donors. Rodriguez said in that statement, “Texans keep learning about shady things Ken Paxton’s been hiding from them. Using Texas tax dollars to put Albanian businessmen up in hotel rooms is just the latest example.”.
Newsweek reached out to the NRSC for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
In April 2025, the NRSC endorsed Cornyn, describing him as a “leader” who delivered on Trump’s agenda and “for the people of Texas.” That statement added that Cornyn was a “fighter, man of faith, and essential part of the Republican Senate Majority.”
Paxton’s general-election entry now turns on the same kind of power shift Republicans have been watching all year. Paxton has served as Texas attorney general since 2015. and he has been a polarizing figure within his own party. with legal and ethical controversies including a securities fraud case that was resolved in 2025 and an impeachment trial in 2023.
In the first primary race in March, Paxton trailed Cornyn, but he claimed an overwhelming victory on Tuesday. The shift came after Trump endorsed him, saying Cornyn wasn’t loyal to his MAGA agenda. Frank Luntz, a pollster, said the result showed Trump’s influence inside the Republican Party.
“‘He can beat just about any Republican in just about any state in just about any primary. He is chief strategist, chief advocate, and chief voice of the GOP. His name may not be on the ballot in November. but make no mistake: Nothing and no one will have a bigger impact on voter behavior. ’” Luntz posted on X.
At the same time, Republicans face the strategic reality of an expensive election cycle. Republicans have 24 seats in the Senate to defend this year. and the Texas race could force a split in their resources. The NRSC backing is likely tied to money and momentum: Paxton isn’t described as the powerhouse fundraiser that Cornyn was. making support from the NRSC potentially central to helping fund his campaign and defeat Talarico.
Even with that assistance, Democrats still have an uphill battle to flip a seat that has not had a Democrat in more than 30 years.
NRSC Ken Paxton John Cornyn James Talarico Trump endorsement Texas runoff Senate November midterm