Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), who was acquitted last week in his historic impeachment trial in the state, took swipes at Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and kept the door open to a possible run for the senator’s seat in 2026, saying “everything’s on the table” at this point, The Hill reports.

Sean Trende: “This may well be another 2018 environment for Cruz. Given the shifts in Texas over the past four years, he seems unlikely to survive such an environment. Regardless, Cruz definitely can win this election.”

“But, unlike most other Texas races, his fate is in many ways out of his hands. There are enough things that could go wrong for him that the race should be considered genuinely competitive at this point.”

“If you’re a Democrat, after Donald Trump, there’s no Republican in the country you want to beat more than me.”

— Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), quoted by Politico.

Texas state Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D) “entered the state’s US Senate race on Monday, becoming the second high-profile Democrat vying to take on Republican Sen. Ted Cruz next fall,” CNN reports.

“Gutierrez, a long-time state lawmaker from San Antonio, represents a district that includes Uvalde, where a gunman killed 19 elementary school students and two teachers last year, and he referenced the shooting in his announcement.”

Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) raised nearly $6.2 million in roughly the first two months of his campaign against Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), the Texas Tribune reports.

He also transferred an additional $2.4 million from his House campaign account.

Houston Chronicle: “The Texas Republican is touting past efforts to reach across the aisle to designate new federal highways, invest in space exploration and pass protections for women in military academies.”

A new University of Texas at Tyler poll finds Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) holds a 5-point lead over Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) in the U.S. Senate race, 42% to 37%.

Another 7% said they would support someone else, and 14% said they were unsure.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) confused his potential 2024 challenger, Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX), with another black man: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Time: “Despite well over a decade of unfulfilled hopes among Democrats that Texas might finally turn blue, no one who spoke to Time for this story was ready to write the state off as a lost cause.”

“Harvey Kronberg, the publisher of Quorum Report, an insider newsletter on Texas politics, thinks that Democrats’ long history of losses could end with a star candidate who knows how to land jabs at an opponent and use radio and TV to their advantage—areas where he thinks O’Rourke fell short.”

Saiad Kronberg: “I actually think we will see us become authentically purple in the next decade. One statewide win will turn us purple.”

“I took off my jacket and got ready to take on anyone who came through that door. Ted Cruz? He cheered on the mob… then hid in the supply closet.”

— Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX), referencing the Capitol riots in his Senate campaign announcement.

Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) launched his campaign for U.S. Senate, saying Texas “can’t afford six more years” of incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), the Dallas Morning News reports.

Said Allred: “The political extremism that we are becoming increasingly known for is a real risk to our business community and our path forward. It’s making some folks say they don’t want to send their kids to school in our state. We can go in a different direction.”

The Cook Political Report moves the race from Solid Republican to Likely Republican.

Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) is planning to announce a run against Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) as soon as this week, Politico reports.

“A former NFL player-turned-civil rights attorney, Allred has been quietly prepping for a run against Cruz for months. During his two successful reelection bids since ousting an entrenched incumbent in 2018, Allred has proven a prolific fundraiser. He’s well-liked within the Democratic Caucus and has also picked up positions in leadership, now serving as a member of House Minority Whip Katherine Clark’s (D-MA) team and as previously part of then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) expansive leadership team.”

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) “built his reputation as a conservative flamethrower after leading the government shutdown over Obamacare funding in 2013, cultivating that brand during his presidential campaign and beyond over the last decade,” NBC News reports.

“Now, the Texas Republican is seeking to show some bipartisan credentials as he runs for re-election in a state that is becoming more competitive and gave him a scare in his last race.”

Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) “is considering challenging incumbent Ted Cruz for Senate in 2024,” the Dallas Morning News reports.

“The move would put him in line to make history, or become the next candidate in a long string of Democratic Party disappointments.”

“Allred has been talking to strategists, donors and supporters across the state to determine if running against Cruz makes sense. At the same time, his media office has been in overdrive, distributing updates about his congressional work and stressing his bipartisan approach to problem-solving.”

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) “made it clear to his supporters on Monday night that he’s running for re-election to the Senate, and not for the White House,” the Houston Chronicle reports.

Said Cruz: “I’m on the ballot in 2024. I’m running for re-election.”

“It was the most direct indication yet that the Texas Republican — who came in second to former President Donald Trump in the 2016 GOP primary and has been open about wanting to make another run for the White House — does not see a path for himself next year.”

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) “reintroduced a bill last week to limit senators from serving more than two six-year terms, even as he stands by plans to run for his third,” the Texas Tribune reports.

“He declined to answer questions about why he would seek a third term in office, given his view about the need to limit how long members should serve.”

“Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is running for reelection to the Senate in 2024 but is not ruling out jumping into the race for the Republican presidential nomination at a later date,” the Washington Examiner reports.

Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) “recently launched Spanish-language TV ads in his reelection campaign — an unexpected use of campaign resources given that he is sitting in one of this election season’s safest congressional districts in the state,” the Texas Tribune reports.

“Jackson, best known as the doctor to former President Donald Trump, launched the TV spots last week in a bid to introduce himself to Latino voters. While his rural, Panhandle district is predominantly white, his campaign says it is an effort to grow his appeal with an ascendant voting bloc statewide.”