Wesley Hunt leans into ugly Texas Senate race

GOP Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt is running a new ad more than 200 miles away from his Houston-area district.Why it matters: Hunt sees an opening in the Texas Senate race. Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn is faltering in Republican primary polling, and mega-MAGA challenger Ken Paxton is under the microscope for his divorce.The new Hunt ad is a clear effort to introduce himself to voters outside the area he represents.The ad presents Hunt as a family man, showing himself with his wife and three young children."Family, faith, freedom. These are the values that define Texas, and they're the values that define Wesley Hunt," the ad says.Zoom in: The commercial aims to paint an implicit contrast with Paxton, whose wife last week filed for divorce.Angela Paxton, a Texas state senator, said she was divorcing her husband on "biblical grounds" and alleged that he had committed adultery and that they had been living separately for more than a year.Ken Paxton responded by saying: "I could not be any more proud or grateful for the incredible family that God has blessed us with, and I remain committed to supporting our amazing children and grandchildren."Hunt — who has yet to formally announce a Senate bid — is spending in the "six figures" to air the commercial in the Houston and Dallas media markets, according to a source familiar with the buy.Hunt has been running a separate ad in the Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Waco, and Amarillo areas highlighting his military background.State of play: Polls have shown Cornyn trailing Paxton by a significant margin.But senior Republicans worry that Paxton, who had previously been impeached (and acquitted) by the Texas legislature on bribery and corruption charges, is damaged goods and would face a competitive general election against a Democrat.Other Republicans, including Hunt and GOP Rep. Ronny Jackson — who served as White House physician during Trump's first term — are weighing possible bids.Cornyn, who was first elected in 2002, has maintained the support of party leadership.Trump has remained neutral in the contest, and White House officials told Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) during a meeting last week that the president would wait to see if Cornyn could close the polling gap.

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