<p>Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has decided not to fundraise for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in his campaign to replace Cornyn in the Senate, describing Paxton as 'lazy.'</p>
<p>'Paxton’s a poor campaigner,' Cornyn told the Texas Tribune. 'He’s lazy and doesn’t raise money. And he basically is not offering a very compelling case for his election. He’s making this harder than it needs to be. But so be it — we are where we are.'</p>
<p>This tension follows a heated GOP primary runoff earlier this year, where Cornyn defended his Senate seat while Paxton campaigned against him. Former President Donald Trump's endorsement was significant in the primary, as he supported Paxton before the election after initially withholding his choice.</p>
<p>The Washington Examiner has contacted Paxton’s team for a response.</p>
<p>Paxton is set to compete against Democratic state Representative James Talarico in the upcoming Senate general election, which is anticipated to be closely monitored. The Cook Political Report has categorized the race as a toss-up, with recent polling indicating that the candidates are within single-digit margins of each other.</p>
<p>Despite his strong fundraising history, having raised over $14.2 million this year, Cornyn stated he would not support Paxton’s campaign financially. Instead, he plans to focus on fundraising for GOP candidates in New Hampshire, Michigan, and Alaska, while expressing disapproval of Talarico’s policies.</p>
<p>The contentious primary and the dynamics surrounding Trump’s endorsement have positioned Cornyn as a lame duck, allowing him more freedom to negotiate with the White House on various policies. In a June interview with the Washington Examiner, Cornyn referred to his current position as 'liberating.'</p>
<p>As of the end of June, Paxton’s campaign has raised over $9.2 million and has $1.7 million in cash on hand. In contrast, Talarico’s campaign has raised over $68.5 million, with $21.5 million in cash on hand.</p>