Texas – Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is demanding that Republicans stop criticizing Ken Paxton and unite behind the Republican nominee after a bitter primary, warning that continued infighting could help Democrat James Talarico win the U.S. Senate race.
“Some of the Republicans that are throwing rocks at Ken Paxton, my message to them is enough, stop your bitching,” Cruz said during an interview on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” with host Laura Ingraham.
Cruz made the comments while defending Paxton, who defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary and is now facing Talarico in the November general election.
Cruz argued that Republicans had already spent enormous sums of money fighting among themselves during the primary and said there was no reason to continue relitigating the contest now that Paxton had won.
“We had a $200 million primary, and Ken won,” Cruz said.
He added that the extensive negative advertising against Paxton during the primary could still be affecting the Republican nominee’s standing in the general election.
“One of the reasons the numbers are close is because $200 million of attack ads were run against him, and that does damage,” Cruz said.
Cruz’s comments came as concerns have grown among Republicans about the competitiveness of the Texas Senate race. Paxton is seeking to hold the seat for Republicans after defeating Cornyn, but Democrats have increasingly viewed Texas as a potential opportunity to gain another Senate seat.
During the Fox interview, Cruz acknowledged that the race was serious and said recent polling showed the contest essentially tied.
“This race is a very real fight. It is serious,” Cruz said, adding that he believed Paxton would ultimately win.
Cruz also emphasized his own support for Paxton, saying he had worked to raise millions of dollars for the campaign and that a super PAC aligned with him had spent millions supporting Paxton.
His comments were directed in particular at Republicans who continued criticizing Paxton after the primary.
Cruz argued that the same Republicans who expect conservatives to support moderate candidates after they win Republican primaries should now support Paxton, regardless of whom they preferred during the primary.
“Every moderate Republican, when they win a primary, they tell conservatives, now shut up and support the nominee,” Cruz said.
“My answer to everyone whining, shut up and support the nominee,” he added.
Cruz then took a direct shot at Talarico, referring to the Democratic candidate as a “communist lunatic” and warning Republicans against handing Texas to him, per reports.
Cruz repeated that message the following day in a post on X.
“For years, moderates have told conservatives to shut up and support the nominee when their guy wins. Same rule applies now,” Cruz wrote.
“The primary is over. Ken Paxton won. Support the nominee. Texas is too important to hand over to a communist lunatic because Republicans are still relitigating a primary they already lost.”
The remarks came amid growing Republican concerns about Paxton’s ability to compete financially against Talarico. The Democratic candidate has significantly outraised Paxton, creating pressure on Republican leaders and major GOP donors to invest more heavily in Texas.
The Daily Caller reported that Talarico raised about $30 million during the second quarter of 2026, compared with approximately $9.2 million raised by Paxton. The fundraising disparity has fueled questions about when national Republican organizations will fully engage in the Texas race.
USA Today also reported that one August poll showed Talarico leading Paxton 48% to 42%, although other polling has shown a much closer race. The poll was released by Texas Public Opinion Research on Aug. 27 and showed Talarico’s advantage outside the poll’s margin of error.
At the same time, Paxton has faced criticism from Republicans who believe he needs to do more to strengthen his campaign. Cornyn, who lost the primary to Paxton by a wide margin, recently criticized Paxton’s campaign efforts, calling him a poor campaigner and saying he was not raising enough money.
Those criticisms have contributed to the Republican infighting Cruz was addressing during the Fox interview.
Cruz’s argument is that Republicans can disagree with Paxton’s campaign or his performance, but those disagreements should have been settled during the primary. Now that Paxton is the Republican nominee, Cruz said, the party needs to focus on defeating Talarico rather than continuing to attack its own candidate.
The Texas Senate contest has taken on national importance because a Democratic victory would provide another potential path for Democrats to strengthen their position in the Senate. Republicans therefore face pressure to unite behind Paxton despite divisions that emerged during the expensive primary campaign.
Cruz has made clear that he intends to remain one of Paxton’s most vocal Republican supporters. His latest message to Republicans who opposed Paxton was blunt: the primary is over, the nominee has been chosen and the party needs to move forward.
For Cruz, the choice facing Texas Republicans is no longer between Paxton and another Republican candidate. It is between supporting Paxton in November or risking a Democratic victory by continuing to fight over a primary that has already ended.
