A high-stakes US Senate primary matchup in Texas Tuesday is being shaped by a clash over radical Islam — and senior Republican lawmakers are pleading with President Trump to settle it.
Four-term incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), is facing off against Texas AG Ken Paxton, while a third candidate, two-term Trump ally and occasional campaign surrogate Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), is also in the race.
The party fears the bruising primary, which has already seen high turnout in early voting from Democrats, will lead to a loss in November, and might even turn Texas blue.
Senate Republicans are urging Trump, who spoke in Corpus Christi Friday, to back Cornyn or “risk losing Texas.”
A Muslim-centered planned community near Dallas and Fort Worth has become a key flashpoint in the race – as Cornyn and Paxton have run dueling campaign ads denouncing radical Islam.
The project, named Epic City, calls for 1,000 new homes centered around a mosque and faith-based schools.
“The fact that they want their own city — it’s beginning to be a factor,” one Texas Republican source told The Post.
The development, which is affiliated with the East Plano Islamic Center, comes as Muslims in Texas now comprises 2% of the population, with 313,000 residents. In 2000, just 0.55% of the state identified as Muslim.
Paxton sued last week to stop Epic City, calling it an “illegal development,” citing infrastructure and utility regulations.
“I will not allow individuals to cheat the system to advance an illegal development and destroy beautiful Texas land,” said Paxton.
Cornyn, meanwhile, has a campaign ad denouncing radical Islam as a “bloodthirsty ideology,” and which proclaims Sharia law “has no place in American courts or communities.”
His Defeat Sharia Law Act would prohibit courts from enforcing judgements “relying on foreign laws that violate the Constitution.”
For his part, Hunt has mocked Cornyn as “Sharia John” in an online ad and has used video of Cornyn providing a Ramadan message and using the Arabic blessing, “inshallah.”
First elected in 2014, Paxton has been able to eke out a narrow 3-point lead over Cornyn in the RealClear Politics polling average, 32-29, with Hunt trailing.
That has some traditionalist Republicans alarmed.
A Trump endorsement could push either frontrunner over the top.
“He’s been hesitant to get into it because Paxton did a lot [to help] in the early years. The polls show that the seat would be vulnerable if Paxton were the nominee … I think Trump could be very helpful, or we make it very messy,” said the source.
All three candidates joined Trump at his event in front of a huge tanker in Corpus Christi, a major shipping hub. On the ground in Texas, a reporter asked the president if he had decided who he will endorse. “Pretty much, yeah,” he responded, without sharing more. “No, not yet,” he said when asked if he would reveal his decision.
Trump only hinted at the drama when he mentioned both men during his speech. “They’re in a little race together. You know that? A little of a race. Going to be an interesting one, right?”
Senate Republicans are pleading with Trump to intervene.
Cornyn “is the Republican that can put the Texas race away,” said Sen. Steve Daines (R-Montana). “When it comes time to the general election, I worry about if either of the other two candidates were to be the nominee that we could risk losing Texas.”
Democratic early votes are up 200,000 in the race, compared to 2020. The GOP was up by just 33,000 in early voting, compared to 2000, leaving the possibility there would be more early votes cast by Democrats than by Republicans.
The state has added nearly 400,000 residents since last year. In 2024 alone it added about 320,000 migrants from abroad.
A May 26 primary runoff could potentially provide an opening for Democrats to realize their dream of capturing the Republican stronghold.
“I think the polling shows that there’s a bigger, much bigger challenge during the general election” if Paxton wins, said Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.).
“Obviously the people of Texas are going to make their own decisions on that.”
A poll this month by Hart Research Associates shows Democrat Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) leading Paxton, 48-45, in a hypothetical general election matchup.
Paxton faces a series of ethics issues that could be turned into campaign ads.
His wife, Angela, filed for divorced on “biblical grounds.” He led a multi-state effort in 2020 to have the Supreme Court overturn the presidential election results.
On the Democratic side, Crockett has been getting hammered on TV by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
She faces Democrat state Rep. James Talarico, who got a fundraising boost when his appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” wasn’t allowed to air on CBS. They are virtually tied in the polls.