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U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) weighed in on the upcoming Republican primary runoff in the race for Texas attorney general on Thursday (May 19), lobbing criticisms at current AG Ken Paxton, according to a report from Austin NBC affiliate KXAN.
Cornyn took issue with Paxton, a fellow Republican, over the latter's legal troubles, per KXAN. Paxton's quest for reelection is being challenged by Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, the son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and grandson of the late President George H.W. Bush.
Party primary runoffs are slated for Tuesday (May 24).
According to KXAN, Cornyn, a former Texas AG himself, said his successor's legal problems embarrass the Lone Star State.
Though the senator initially said during a conference call that he's attempting to keep quiet on the primaries, the station reported, he remarked, “I will tell you that I remain very disturbed by the fact that the incumbent has had a[n] indictment hanging over his head.”
“This is the chief law enforcement officer of the state of Texas,” Cornyn, who was the state's lead legal counsel from 1999 to 2002, said, per KXAN. "And it’s a source of embarrassment, to me, that has been unresolved.”
The station reported that Paxton pushed back against Cornyn's comments.
“I’m focused on stopping Biden’s disastrous agenda and defending Texans’ conservative values,” he said, KXAN reported. “I’m not shocked by the senator’s comments. He represents the Bush wing of the GOP. I’ll never relate to Cornyn’s ability to compromise with radical Senate Democrats in D.C.”
Paxton, who was indicted for felony securities fraud charges shortly after he was sworn in as AG in 2015, emerged as the lead vote-getter in the four-way race for the GOP nod last March, according to the Austin Journal.
KXAN reported that the Democrats will also have a primary with Rochelle Garza and Joe Jaworski on the May 24 ballot.
The contest for AG is on the Nov. 8 ballot.