Sen. John Cornyn accuses rival Ken Paxton of being radical left-wing sympathizer in absurd attack ad

A new attack ad released by a group backing U.S. Sen. John Cornyn absurdly accuses far-right Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton — who’s running for the seat now held by Texas’ senior GOP senator — of being a radical, leftist sympathizer.

The 27-second clip posted by @CrookedKenTX, an X account run by Texans for Senator John Cornyn Inc., asks voters if they can trust Paxton even though his office allegedly funneled millions of taxpayer-funded grants to “radical anti-ICE groups.”

“Do you want taxpayer funds going to radical groups that fight to protect illegal immigrants and attack law enforcement?” the ad says while ominous music plays in the background alongside images of riots. “You simply cannot trust Ken Paxton.”

Texans for Senator John Cornyn alleges on its website that Paxton’s office doled out $7 million to left-leaning groups, including the Texas Civil Rights Project and the Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, both of which provide legal services to low-income residents, and the Montrose Center, which provides LGBTQ+ social services.

The ad comes as Paxton continues to lead Cornyn by around 10 percentage points in their looming Republican primary showdown.

The notion that Paxton is a closet lefty is laughable.

Paxton has a long track record of supporting far-right causes. In 2016, Paxton led a coalition of states in challenging federal guidance that allowed transgender students to use the bathrooms corresponding with their gender identity.

As Texas attorney general, he also filed a Supreme Court case seeking to overturn Joe Biden’s legitimate win in the 2020 presidential election. Then, two years alter, he and the Texas Public Policy Foundation backed Senate Bill 1111, which introduced strict voter ID requirements, leading to legal challenges from civil-rights groups.

Indeed, the new attack ad appears to be an act of desperation from Cornyn’s camp, which has been criticized for not being pro-MAGA enough and faces an uphill battle in his primary against Paxton.

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This article appears in May 29 – Jun 11, 2025.