Cornyn Refuses to Fundraise for 'Lazy' Paxton

Sen. John Cornyn said Friday he will not raise money for Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general who beat him in the Republican Senate primary runoff, calling Paxton "lazy" and a "poor campaigner."

Cornyn made the remarks in an interview with the Texas Tribune, reported by the New York Post and Political Wire.

"Paxton's a poor campaigner," Cornyn said. "He's lazy and doesn't raise money. And he basically is not offering a very compelling case for his election. He's making this harder than it needs to be. But so be it — we are where we are."

Paxton faces Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in November for the seat Cornyn has held for four terms.

Why It Matters

Texas has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1988. This year the seat is in play.

Talarico leads Paxton by roughly 2 points in the RealClearPolitics polling average, the New York Post reported. A Texas Public Opinion Research poll published Wednesday put Talarico at 48 percent to Paxton's 42 percent among likely voters, according to New York Magazine.

The money gap is wider than the polling gap. Talarico's campaign committees have raised $72 million in total, including $31.6 million in the quarter ending in July, the Texas Tribune reported. Paxton has raised $16.8 million in total, including $9.3 million last quarter.

The National Desk reports the race could become the most expensive Senate contest in the country this cycle.