chrisocker said:

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Paxton took retaliation on whistleblowers within his own office (8 people total spoke up - that's more than "a few angry staffers") and then motioned to have us taxpayers foot the bill to the tune of over $3 million. Then he later was impeached by his fellow conservatives for allegations of accepting bribes, among other things. Why would I want someone with his track record in the senate?

P.S. The impeachment vote was something like 120 - 20. Far from being a vote down party lines.

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Bulldog73 said:

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Middleton's big bullet is he's "MAGA" and that Roy betrayed Trump 7 years ago. Trump has since said supportive things about Roy and has not endorsed Middleton. Makes me think Middleton's campaign is about nothing.

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TAMUallen said:

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Here's a voting guide helper for ya Ags!

BREAKING: I just sued the school illegally operating as "TexAM" for offering unauthorized degrees and misleading Texans. pic.twitter.com/gG7h9tz3wq

— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) May 18, 2026

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TxAggieBand85 said:

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Simple question

Can Paxton win in November?

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Bulldog73 said:

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Middleton's big bullet is he's "MAGA" and that Roy betrayed Trump 7 years ago. Trump has since said supportive things about Roy and has not endorsed Middleton. Makes me think Middleton's campaign is about nothing.

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Booma94 said:

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chrisocker said:

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Paxton took retaliation on whistleblowers within his own office (8 people total spoke up - that's more than "a few angry staffers") and then motioned to have us taxpayers foot the bill to the tune of over $3 million. Then he later was impeached by his fellow conservatives for allegations of accepting bribes, among other things. Why would I want someone with his track record in the senate?

P.S. The impeachment vote was something like 120 - 20. Far from being a vote down party lines.

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That's one of the questions I ask as well.

Unfortunately the choices in that race are both bad. Paxton is a scumbag and ethically corrupt and Cornyn is a swamp rat and RINO who hardly looks out for the best interest of Texans.

It's literally the reason the Dems have a puncher's chance of winning the seat.

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2026NCAggies said:

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TxAggieBand85 said:

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Simple question

Can Paxton win in November?

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Won't even be close. Paxton by 600k+

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HTownAg98 said:

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Booma94 said:

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chrisocker said:

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Paxton took retaliation on whistleblowers within his own office (8 people total spoke up - that's more than "a few angry staffers") and then motioned to have us taxpayers foot the bill to the tune of over $3 million. Then he later was impeached by his fellow conservatives for allegations of accepting bribes, among other things. Why would I want someone with his track record in the senate?

P.S. The impeachment vote was something like 120 - 20. Far from being a vote down party lines.

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That's one of the questions I ask as well.

Unfortunately the choices in that race are both bad. Paxton is a scumbag and ethically corrupt and Cornyn is a swamp rat and RINO who hardly looks out for the best interest of Texans.

It's literally the reason the Dems have a puncher's chance of winning the seat.

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Against Cornyn, no. But Paxton makes the race way closer than it should be, for a couple of reasons.

1. Talarico has raised a boatload of money. He's going to flood the zone in the fall.
2. Paxton is an easy target with all his ethics problems and being a philandering scumbag.
3. Trump isn't on the ballot.

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HTownAg98 said:

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You misunderstood my use of "easy." Paxton's corruption and character problems are easy to poke at.

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TexasAggie73 said:

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Perry has come out for Cornyn. Does he still have influence?

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HTownAg98 said:

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That's only if you ignore every single poll over the last year.

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TAMUallen said:

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HTownAg98 said:

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That's only if you ignore every single poll over the last year.

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Those polls have been way off. Mark my words, Paxton beats Talarico by 8 at minimum

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JD Shellnut said:

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So I know I'm already voting for Paxton, but I have no idea on the other races. Does anyone know of a good voting guide that I can go over to educate myself more on the candidates? I'm in Nacogdoches, so I think I'm in district 17.

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thumbsup73 said:

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Take a picture with your camera.
Last I checked you can still take your phone into the voting box.

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P.H. Dexippus said:

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Negative
https://www.votetexas.gov/voting/allowed-at-the-polling-place.html

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Quote:

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[Me:] OK, with the information I've given you in this thread, recommend a candidate in each race and briefly explain why.

Based on the views you expressed, here's the candidate in each race that appears most aligned with your priorities and worldview -- especially your mix of:

• anti-progressive cultural politics,
• technocratic thinking,
• anti-cronyism,
• housing/transit urbanism,
• fiscal restraint,
• and anti-establishment instincts.

This is not an endorsement from me; it's a best-fit analysis based on your stated preferences.

U.S. Senate
Likely best fit: Ken Paxton
Why:

• Your politics are ultimately culture-first and anti-establishment.
• You strongly prioritize fighting progressive institutional influence.
• You prefer aggressive political confrontation over institutional moderation.
• You're skeptical of elite institutions and establishment Republicans.

Why not Cornyn:

• John Cornyn probably matches your temperament better (systems-oriented, procedural, institutional), but not your political priorities hierarchy.

Main caveat:

• Paxton's controversies and chaotic style conflict somewhat with your preference for competence and anti-corruption.

U.S. Representative
Likely best fit: Alex Mealer
Why:

• You consistently emphasized competence, infrastructure, planning, and governance quality.
• Your urbanist/transit/housing views are very far from standard culture-war suburban conservatism.
• Mealer's executive/managerial style fits your systems-oriented thinking better than Briscoe Cain's activist style.

Why not Cain:

• Briscoe Cain is much more culture-war activist oriented and more aligned with traditional anti-urban Republican politics.

Attorney General
Likely best fit: Chip Roy
Why:

• You're highly constitutionalist and fiscally hawkish.
• You strongly dislike deficits and cronyism.
• Your worldview is intellectually structured and systems-focused.
• Roy's brand is ideological constitutional conservatism rather than personality-driven populism.

Why not Middleton:

• Mayes Middleton fits more with culture-war populism and self-funded political branding than your technocratic style.

Railroad Commissioner
Likely best fit: Bo French
Why:

• Your anti-establishment instincts are strong.
• You're skeptical of entrenched interests and cronyism.
• You dislike systems where costs are socialized and profits privatized.

Main caveat:

• Your technocratic tendencies might also appreciate experienced regulatory management, which points somewhat toward Jim Wright.

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals
Slight lean: Thomas Smith
Why:

• Based on your emphasis on institutional restoration, academic rigor, and skepticism toward ideological activism, you'd probably prioritize judicial restraint and traditional jurisprudence over activist-style rhetoric.

This race is low-information, though, and ideological differences appear narrower than in the major races.

Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District
Slight lean: Todd Frankfort
Why:

• Your profile consistently favors technically oriented, systems-focused, procedural competence.
• Frankfort's appellate/civil-law orientation appears somewhat more aligned with that mindset.

Again, this is a relatively low-salience judicial race with limited public differentiation.

County Judge
Likely best fit: Warren A. Howell
Why:

• You strongly favor engineering-driven infrastructure policy and cost-benefit analysis.
• You dislike cronyism and performative politics.
• You prioritize competence and systems thinking over political theater.
• Howell appears more governance/legal/administration-oriented.

Why not Sanchez:

• Orlando Sanchez is more traditional retail-politics Republicanism and more tied to conventional suburban GOP politics.

Main caveat:

• Neither candidate seems especially aligned with your transit/YIMBY/anti-sprawl views.

Harris County Republican Party Chairman
Likely best fit: Don Hooper
Why:

• You repeatedly favored anti-establishment energy.
• You're highly skeptical of institutional capture and entrenched political structures.
• You seem to prefer activist disruption over organizational maintenance.

Why not Siegel:

• Cindy Siegel represents continuity and institutional party management.

Overall, your ballot profile looks something like:

• culturally nationalist/right,
• economically disciplined,
• technocratic,
• anti-cronyist,
• transit-and-housing urbanist,
• anti-sprawl,
• and anti-establishment.

That's a fairly uncommon ideological combination in Texas Republican politics.

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JD Shellnut said:

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So I know I'm already voting for Paxton, but I have no idea on the other races. Does anyone know of a good voting guide that I can go over to educate myself more on the candidates? I'm in Nacogdoches, so I think I'm in district 17.

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TEXAS SENATE/AG RACES: When you vote this week for Senate and AG remember that BOTH John Cornyn and Chip Roy think they’re better than you. They only hide their disdain when they’re asking for your vote. Just listen to them in their own words.

h/t @txind1836 pic.twitter.com/otZcxhOGJd

— @amuse (@amuse) May 20, 2026

thumbsup73 said:

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Take a picture with your camera.
Last I checked you can still take your phone into the voting box.

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