<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Republicans are fretting that a candidate endorsed by </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span> may cost them in their most important state.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/ken-paxton-texas-attorney-general-gay-sex-sodomy-ban-crime-criminalised-supreme-court-us-politics-news/c788aeee-7c8c-493d-a2cb-7863c7469a6b" rel="" target="" title="Ken Paxton"><span>Ken Paxton</span></a><span> has claimed the nomination as the Republican Senate candidate in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/texas" rel="" target="" title="Texas"><span>Texas</span></a><span>, beating long-time incumbent </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-government-shutdown-moderate-democrats-take-first-step-toward-ending-stalemate/f2771ae8-f257-4a4a-b15c-83a3331e7011" rel="" target="" title="John Cornyn"><span>John Cornyn</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His comfortable win this morning over Cornyn comes after Trump threw his support behind Paxton last week after a bitter and expensive primary election.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-stephen-colbert-ai-generated-video-dumpster-late-show-final-show/f590c02d-5725-4bf3-a75d-38a9f0c448b9"><strong><span>Trump posts AI video of himself attacking Stephen Colbert</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But Paxton has been so scandal-prone that it could give Democrats an opening in the conservative state.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>As Texas attorney-general, his own staff reported him to the FBI with bribery and corruption accusations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Paxton then fired the whistleblowers.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/ken-paxton-john-cornyn-texas-primary-senate-election-results-james-talarico-us-politics-news/30df77e4-6968-41dd-bdf7-7abe24e83ea3" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He was impeached by the state House of Representatives but kept his job after a vote to remove him failed by a single vote in the Texas Senate.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In 2015, he was arrested while attorney-general and charged with security fraud, paying a $A400,000 fine and doing 200 hours of community service in a deal with prosecutors.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He was also caught on CCTV pocketing another lawyer's $A1400 pen when it had been left behind at a metal detector.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"To call Paxton ethically challenged is to call </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/jeffery-dahmer-witness-shares-story-in-new-documentary/afd6744f-b4c2-4256-9071-24a1805f4898" rel="" target="" title="Jeffrey Dahmer"><span>Jeffrey Dahmer</span></a><span> suffering from an eating disorder," Republican senator </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-thom-tillis-kristi-noem-ice-department-of-homeland-security-senate-usa/46925cce-c784-4f7b-bd3e-64d5f70a67a1" rel="" target="" title="Thom Tillis"><span>Thom Tillis</span></a><span> said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This guy is an empty suit and will do us no service by being in the US Congress."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/tom-kean-missing-congressman-representative-usa-politics-news/28a222e5-489f-48ac-9c60-83acfd8cd663"><strong><span>Congressman hasn't been seen for 12 weeks</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His wife Angela filed for divorce last year on "biblical grounds", alleging adultery.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Mrs Paxton, herself a state senator, did not make an endorsement in the election.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Despite his misdeeds, Paxton publicly professes his Christian faith and was a co-founder of a Dallas megachurch in the 1990s.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His deeply conservative views have made him a darling in Texas Republican politics.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He has been a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage, transgender rights and COVID-19 restrictions.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In 2022, he said he would be in favour of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/ken-paxton-texas-attorney-general-gay-sex-sodomy-ban-crime-criminalised-supreme-court-us-politics-news/c788aeee-7c8c-493d-a2cb-7863c7469a6b" rel="" target="" title="recriminalising sex between men"><span>recriminalising sex between men</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Making Republicans nervous in Texas is the surprising popularity of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/stephen-colbert-cbs-james-talarico-texas-senate-race-brendan-carr-fcc/2d217255-ac5b-4c78-afb2-fe00924a16f4" rel="" target="" title="Democratic candidate James Talarico"><span>Democratic candidate James Talarico</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Talarico is a state representative and former teacher who also speaks of his own Christian faith. He has a masters of divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In the first three months of the year, he raised $A37 million for his campaign, more than ten times Paxton did.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But in the past 20 years, Texas has been the prize Democrats can't quite win.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But Trump is so on the nose with voters that it may cost Republicans their crown jewel.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-china-warning-taiwan-warning-beijing-xi-jinping-world-news/af84902a-4097-4da8-a4af-1074d8bd66fb"><strong><span>Trump's soft stance during China visit alarms Taiwan and its US supporters</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Voters have turned hard against Trump, with the most pronounced swing among Hispanic Americans. In Texas, 40 per cent of the population is Hispanic.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump's endorsement of Paxton came after a battle with Cornyn to win the president's approval.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Both candidates campaigned on their devotion and loyalty to Trump, but Paxton won out in the end.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Texas is the biggest Republican-leaning state in the United States. If Democrats can make the state competitive, it will transform the way presidential elections are run.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The midterm election will take place in November.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-confirms-he-wont-attend-sons-wedding/71e905e7-46aa-43ce-ada2-a726ba2d92e2"><strong><span>Donald Trump too busy to attend son's wedding</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>