The Republican primary for the competitive U.S. Senate seat in Texas just got more crowded, thanks to one GOP lawmaker.

Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas officially launched his Senate campaign on Monday to unseat Sen. John Cornyn of Texas. Cornyn has already spent the last several months campaigning against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who launched his own Senate campaign in April.

'There will be a full vetting of his record.'

Although the Republican primary was already poised to be a close race, with a slight edge for Paxton, Hunt's candidacy complicates the political calculus.

"The time is NOW," Hunt said in his campaign announcement. "For Faith. For Family. For Freedom. FOR TEXAS. I’m Wesley Hunt, and I’m running for Senate."

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Hunt's candidacy has already caused an uproar, with the National Republican Senatorial Committee claiming the congressman has chosen "personal ambition" over holding the narrow Republican majority in the House.

“John Cornyn is a battle-tested conservative who continues to be a leader in delivering President Trump’s agenda in the U.S. Senate, and he’s the best candidate to keep Texas in the Republican Senate majority," NRSC communications director Joanna Rodriguez said in a statement. "Now that Wesley has chosen personal ambition over holding President Trump's House majority, there will be a full vetting of his record. Senator Cornyn's conservative record of accomplishment stands tall against Wesley’s."

Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Notably, early polls show that Hunt's candidacy weakens Cornyn's odds of winning re-election. In a two-way race between Cornyn and Paxton, RealClearPolling averages show the incumbent at a 2.3-point disadvantage. However, in a three-way race between Cornyn, Paxton, and Hunt, the senator is facing an average four-point disadvantage.

Although Hunt is polling significantly behind both Paxton and Cornyn, it's likely that he would act as a spoiler candidate for the incumbent, widening Paxton's lead in the race.

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'Progressive Christian' Democrat joins Senate race to unseat John Cornyn

The race for John Cornyn's Senate seat is becoming more crowded as another Democrat announced his bid for the seat on Tuesday.

Texas Representative James Talarico, a self-described "progressive Christian," announced on Tuesday that he will be throwing his hat in the ring to challenge incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn. Talarico's bid is the most recent challenge in an already crowded field of Senate hopefuls.

'We're the underdogs in this fight. We're going up against a rigged system and a lot of money.'

"I get the sense that there is a deep hunger across the political spectrum for a fundamentally different kind of politics," Talarico said in an interview ahead of his announcement, according to the AP. "It's been 10 years now of Trumpian politics, politics as a blood sport, ... and there is a hunger 10 years later for a return to more timeless values of sincerity and honesty and compassion and respect."

Talarico gained increased attention on social media when he sat down with Joe Rogan on "The Joe Rogan Experience" on July 18.

Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images

"Billionaires have taken over Texas and taken over America — but together, we can take power back for working people," Talarico said in a Tuesday morning X post.

In a request for campaign funding, Talarico delivered a similar message about punching upward in the race: "We're the underdogs in this fight. We're going up against a rigged system and a lot of money. Big Money is powerful, but it's nothing compared to People Power."

Talarico was also a leading figure in the Texas redistricting fight during July and August. Democrats fled the state in an attempt to delay the vote on the redistricting motion, which was ultimately passed in late August.

Senator John Cornyn will be running for a fifth term in the Senate. Democrats see a path to victory if Attorney General Ken Paxton beats Cornyn in the March primary.

Talarico joins a crowded field of Democrat candidates, including former NFL player Colin Allred and former astronaut Terry Virts. Beto O'Rourke has also reportedly not ruled out joining the race.

Talarico will reportedly launch his campaign with an event on Tuesday in his hometown of Round Rock, Texas, which is north of Austin.

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Conservative firebrand Chip Roy bids Congress farewell, targets new political venture

Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas announced Thursday that he would be stepping down from Congress to pursue a new political venture in the Lone Star State.

Roy, who is currently serving his fourth term in the House of Representatives, officially launched his bid for Texas attorney general on Thursday, vowing to "defend Texas at every turn." Roy is seeking to replace Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is currently running to unseat Republican Sen. John Cornyn.

'It's time to draw a line in the sand.'

"It has been my honor to represent the 21st Congressional District of Texas — the best part of the best state in the greatest country in the history of the world," Roy said in a press release. "I am particularly proud of our work to deliver on President Trump's agenda and fight to drain the swamp."

"I could do it forever and be fulfilled professionally," Roy added. "But representatives should not be permanent."

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Throughout his political career, Roy has established himself as a conservative firebrand who is comfortable confronting the status quo, even if it's within his own party. Roy repeatedly fought for fiscal responsibility, frequently bucking Republican leadership on major spending bills and continuing resolutions.

At the same time, Roy maintained a focus on strong immigration policy and working to slash excessive environmental regulations.

"Texas is under assault — from open-border politicians, radical leftists, and faceless foreign corporations that threaten our sovereignty, safety, and our way of life," Roy said. "It's time to draw a line in the sand."

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images

"As attorney general, I will fight every single day for our God-given rights, for our families, and for the future of Texas," Roy added. "No more Soros-funded judges and DAs putting criminals on our streets. No more judge-made mandates that Texans pay for illegals in our public schools. No more communities built on Sharia law."

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Kamala, Hillary champion Texas Democrats who camped out at statehouse, engaged in 'bad Kabuki theater'

Texas House Democrats fled the Lone Star State earlier this month to deny their colleagues the necessary number of bodies for a quorum, thereby temporarily preventing Republicans from passing new congressional lines and gaining five more congressional pickup opportunities ahead of the midterm elections.

Following the Democratic lawmakers' departure, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R) signed arrest warrants for the absentee legislators and Gov. Greg Abbott (R) ordered their arrests by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

State Democrats — having likely recognized the futility of their flight — finally slunk back to Texas this week.

'You are among those who history will reveal to have been heroes of this moment.'

To leave the Texas Capitol building on Monday, Democrats apparently had to obtain written permission from Burrows and agree to be escorted by a DPS trooper. Rather than agree to the safeguard, some Democrats decided instead to engage in what Texas state Rep. Brian Harrison (R) referred to as "crocodile tears and bad, bad Kabuki theater" — throwing fits, tearing up their permission slips in front of reporters, and camping out in the statehouse.

State Rep. Nicole Collier really made a show of her sleepover — telling CBS News she refuses "to comply with this unreasonable, un-American, and unnecessary request" and sharing a photo online of her snug in a chair in the state House with a pillow, a sleep mask, and a blanket.

These theatrics attracted the attention of twice-failed presidential candidate Kamala Harris, who called to paint Collier's sleepover as heroic.

"You really are inspiring so many people, and I just want you to know that you are among those who history will reveal to have been heroes of this moment," said Harris. "So you just stay strong and do what you are doing. You have the right instinct. You are talented, and you are principled."

Harris noted further in a tweet, "Nicole, we are all in that chamber with you."

Taking the lead from Collier, Democratic Texas Rep. Mihaela Plesa and a handful of other Democrats returned to the chamber to virtue-signal and tear up their permission slips.

Democratic Texas Rep. Mihaela Plesa tears her Department of Public Safety escort form. Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images

On Wednesday, another failed Democratic presidential candidate piped up in support of the sleepover Democrats.

Hillary Clinton stated, "I stand with state Rep. Nicole Collier and other Texas Democrats on the front lines of protecting American democracy. In a free country, state lawmakers don't get held hostage by the opposition."

Clinton's suggestion that the Democrats were protecting democracy misses the point of the confinement and police escort — namely that the Texas Democrats have been trying to thwart the democratic process and the people's will.

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Paxton’s ‘offensive coordinator’ aims to take the helm as Texas AG

Texas attorney general candidate Aaron Reitz didn’t just help sue the Biden administration — as Ken Paxton’s deputy attorney general for legal strategy for three years, he went after the Biden administration 46 times.

“Within weeks after the 2020 election, we filed Texas v. Pennsylvania to challenge the constitutionality. Two days after we filed in early December, we were in the Oval Office with President Trump. You know, we just started swinging,” Reitz tells BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales on “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered.”

“And then, finally, despite our best efforts, Joe Biden gets inaugurated in January of 2021, and we just start suing the heck out of the Biden administration,” he adds.

“Forty-six times,” Gonzales chimes in.

“My claim to fame,” Reitz jokes. “Ken Paxton always calls me his offensive coordinator, and I was responsible for quarterbacking the Texas v. Biden docket. And yes, I led 46 lawsuits against the 46th president, and it was a lot of fun.”

And that fighting spirit Reitz had as the Biden administration held office is the same one he plans to bring to the position of Texas AG.

“Like you said, these are big shoes to fill. And a lot of folks are happy that Ken is now running for the Senate. But then the follow-on concern is, as happy as they are about that, they say, ‘Well, gosh, I mean, we’re gonna lose. I mean, we can’t afford to take our foot off the gas for AG,’” he tells Gonzales.

“That’s in part why I jumped into this race, because if Texans turn the keys of this office over to me, I know how to handle this vehicle,” he continues. “I’m going to keep my foot on the gas, and we’re going to keep fighting in an extremely aggressive direction.”

While the likelihood that Reitz would need to go after the Trump administration is much lower, he views the position a little differently than he did under Biden.

“The next AG is going to need to partner with the Trump administration in order to advance that justice agenda right here in the Lone Star State,” he explains. “And so, no one better to be able to partner with the Trump administration than someone who literally just served in the Trump administration as a presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed head and senior executive at the Justice Department like myself.”

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