Things Are Going to Get Ugly in Texas

Punchbowl News: “Senate Republicans spent $77 million to buy themselves a runoff here in Texas.”

“Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) edged out Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton last night — barely. With 89% of the vote in, Cornyn had 41.9%, while Paxton tallied 40.9%. GOP Rep. Wesley Hunt came in distant third at 13.4%.”

“That result means this bare-knuckle, mega-Texas primary will last for another 12 weeks. Gobs more money will be spent. And it’ll put a tremendous amount of pressure on the White House to get involved in the race.”

Playbook: “The two rivals were still going at it hammer and tongs last night, and it’s clear this race is only going to get messier and more expensive over the next three months. But Cornyn did way better than expected last night, and there’s real hope now for Republicans who believe he would comfortably hold the seat if he wins the primary. An endorsement from Trump in the coming days could put this one to bed.”