Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, says the U.S. Senate race in Texas is “in play” for Democrats after Attorney General Ken Paxton wins the Republican nomination. Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Beshear argues that Paxton’s nomination sets up a general-election matchup that could allow Democrats to contend for a Texas Senate seat, which Democrats have not won for more than three decades.
Beshear’s comments come after Paxton defeats incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the Senate Republican primary. Sources report that Paxton now will face Democratic nominee James Talarico, a state senator, in the November general election.
The outlets agree on the key sequence of events: Paxton’s primary win and nomination, Beshear’s characterization of the race as competitive for Democrats, and the planned general-election contest between Paxton and Talarico. While Beshear’s remarks focus on Democratic prospects, the reporting also reflects that Paxton becomes the Republican nominee only after winning the intra-party contest against Cornyn.
