德克萨斯州参议员科宁表示，检察长帕克斯顿的提名可能会让民主党人自1994年以来首次赢得全州范围的选举胜利
作者：亚历克斯·米勒
福克斯新闻
2026年2月19日 美国东部时间下午4:36发布
德克萨斯州共和党参议员约翰·科宁(John Cornyn)在争取连任参议院席位的过程中，向德克萨斯州选民发出了严厉警告，称支持德克萨斯州总检察长肯·帕克斯顿(Ken Paxton)可能意味着民主党人将在三十年来首次赢得孤星之州的参议院席位。
“肯·帕克斯顿将成为2026年11月共和党候选人名单上的’死亡之吻’，”科宁表示。
科宁发表上述评论之际，德克萨斯州本周早些时候已开始提前投票，他正奔波于全州各地以巩固支持。在与帕克斯顿和德克萨斯州众议员韦斯利·亨特(Wesley Hunt)的三方初选拉锯战中，他正陷入政治生存的苦战。
特朗普在德克萨斯州提前投票开始时暂停共和党参议院初选支持
2026年2月12日，德克萨斯州共和党参议员约翰·科宁在美国华盛顿特区的美国国会大厦走廊行走。(Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
帕克斯顿的顾问尼克·马杜克斯(Nick Maddux)向福克斯新闻数字版发表声明予以回击，称现任德克萨斯州总检察长在2022年的选举中以两位数优势获胜，”2026年情况也将如此，因为共和党选民正热切期待前往投票站支持他。”
马杜克斯指责科宁”是推动’低倾向、支持特朗普的美国优先选民’投票的最糟糕选择”。
“他即使花费超过7000万美元的资金助选，仍被困在20多岁的支持率，却未将这些资源投入到北卡罗来纳州、密歇根州、缅因州和佐治亚州的竞选活动中，这其中自有原因，”马杜克斯辩称，”德克萨斯州选民不喜欢他，不信任他，11月也不会投票支持他。”
科宁在寻求德克萨斯州连任时抨击民主党候选人
2024年7月16日，德克萨斯州总检察长肯·帕克斯顿在威斯康星州密尔沃基市的Fiserv论坛举行的共和党全国代表大会上。(Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
距离3月3日的初选仅剩不到两周，科宁希望提醒选民，他们的选择可能直接影响共和党在德克萨斯州的控制权。
科宁指出，上一次民主党候选人赢得德克萨斯州全州选举是在1994年。而在对手阵营，德克萨斯州民主党众议员贾丝明·克罗克特(Jasmine Crockett)和德克萨斯州众议员詹姆斯·塔拉利科(James Talarico)正垂涎夺取该席位的机会。
“我认为，如果总检察长成为候选人，他很可能会失去这个席位，”科宁表示，”但即便他没有失去，也只能险胜。不幸的是，这对其他下至州议员的竞选毫无帮助。”
德克萨斯州初选提前投票已开始
2026年2月19日，美国总统唐纳德·特朗普在美国和平研究所华盛顿特区的和平委员会首次会议上。(Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
国会共和党人在华盛顿特区拥有三项优势，这对推动总统唐纳德·特朗普的议程至关重要，特别是他标志性的减税法案——”大而美丽的法案”。
但中期选举往往是对现任总统的公投，尽管该州共和党人去年重新划分选区，为11月的共和党候选人创造了更好的机会，科宁认为帕克斯顿在三方初选获胜将产生负面的连锁反应。
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然而，特朗普尚未在这场竞选中支持任何候选人，他本周早些时候告诉记者，他”喜欢这三个人”。
“我知道特朗普总统不仅对德克萨斯州，对国会竞选也有强烈看法，”科宁说，”我们在德克萨斯州新增了五个国会席位，我知道总统希望在中期选举及以后保持众议院多数席位，因为正如他自己所说，如果民主党赢得众议院多数席位，他们将对他发起第三次弹劾。”
亚历克斯·米勒是福克斯新闻数字版报道美国参议院的记者。
Cornyn warns Paxton would be ‘kiss of death’ for GOP as bloody primary race ramps up
Texas Sen Cornyn says Attorney General Paxton’s nomination could hand Democrats their first statewide win since 1994
By Alex Miller
Fox News
Published February 19, 2026 4:36pm EST
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, had a stark warning for Texans as he fights to keep his job in the Senate, saying a vote for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could mean a Democrat wins the Lone Star State seat for the first time in three decades.
“Ken Paxton will be the kiss of death for Republicans on the ticket in November of 2026,” Cornyn said.
Cornyn made his comments as he crisscrossed the state in a mad dash to shore up support as early voting began in Texas earlier this week. He’s deadlocked in a battle for political survival in a grueling three-way primary with Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas.
TRUMP WITHHOLDS ENDORSEMENT IN FIERY GOP SENATE PRIMARY AS EARLY VOTING BEGINS IN TEXAS
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, walks through the halls of the U.S. Capitol Feb. 12, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Nick Maddux, an advisor for Paxton, fired back in a statement to Fox News Digital that the current Texas attorney general won his election by double digits in 2022, “and the same thing is going to happen in 2026, because Republican voters are fired up to go to the polls and support him.”
Maddux charged that Cornyn “is the worst possible choice” for turning out “low-propensity, Trump-supporting America First voters.”
“There’s a reason that he’s stuck in the mid-20s even after $70-plus million’s been lit on fire to help him instead of going to races in NC, MI, ME and GA,” Maddux contended. “Texas voters don’t like him, don’t trust him, and won’t show up to vote for him in November.”
CORNYN TORCHES DEMOCRATIC FIELD AS HE SEEKS RE-ELECTION IN TEXAS
Ken Paxton, Texas attorney general, during the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee July 16, 2024.(Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
With the March 3 primary election less than two weeks away, Cornyn wanted to remind voters that their decision could have direct consequences on the GOP’s grip in Texas.
The last time a Democratic candidate won a statewide election in Texas, Cornyn noted, was in 1994. And on the opposite side of the playing field, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, and Texas state Rep. James Talarico are salivating at the chance to snatch the seat.
“I think the attorney general, if he’s the nominee, could very well lose the seat,” Cornyn said. “But if he doesn’t lose the seat, he’s not going to win except by the hair of his chin. And, unfortunately, that will not help the down-ballot races.”
EARLY VOTING UNDERWAY IN TEXAS PRIMARY
President Donald Trump attends the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., Feb. 19, 2026.(Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
Congressional Republicans hold a trifecta in Washington, D.C., which has been instrumental in advancing President Donald Trump’s agenda, particularly his marquee tax bill, the “big, beautiful bill.”
But midterm elections often serve as a referendum against the sitting president, and though Republicans in the state redistricted last year to give GOP candidates a better chance come November, Cornyn believes a Paxton win in their three-way primary battle would have a negative trickle-down effect.
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Trump, however, has not yet endorsed a candidate in the contest, telling reporters earlier this week that he “liked all three of them.”
“I know President Trump feels very strongly not only about Texas but also about the congressional races,” Cornyn said. “We’ve got five new congressional seats in Texas, and I know the president wants to carry the majority for the House into the midterms and beyond, because, as he said himself, if Democrats win the majority in the House of Representatives, they will impeach him for the third time.”
Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.
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