Texas Republican Senate candidates Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton were not in the public eye on the last day of campaigning ahead of Tuesday's runoff — but their faces are unavoidable on TV.
The Republican Senate runoff in Texas has been heated and at times downright nasty. Attack ads have defined much of the campaign, with spots targeting both candidates.
"Ken Paxton is distracted. When the Attorney General is focused on himself. It's bad for Texas," stated one advertisement.
Another ad took direct aim at incumbent Cornyn. "Senator John Cornyn has a special place in his heart for radical Islam, even as Muslim extremists force Sharia law on Texans."
RELATED STORY | Trump endorses Paxton in Texas Republican primary, boosting his challenge to incumbent Sen. Cornyn
Despite the mud-slinging, most polls show Paxton holding a razor-thin lead. That was also the case in March, when Cornyn outperformed the polling and won a spot in the runoff by a margin of 2%.
This time around, Paxton has a significant new advantage: a presidential endorsement.
The support for Paxton has drawn rare criticism of President Trump from GOP Senate leadership. Senate Majority Leader John Thune addressed the endorsement directly.
"None of us control what the president does. He made his decision about that. That doesn't change the way I feel, and I am certainly supportive of, will continue to be supportive of Senator Cornyn in his reelection," Thune said.
While Republicans continue to battle each other, Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico has been gathering donations and endorsements, including a recent visit to Texas from former President Barack Obama.
RELATED STORY | Talarico triumphs, Cornyn–Paxton runoff caps chaotic start to midterms
Both parties are bracing for a costly and contentious general election fight. Matthew Wilson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University in Texas, said the stakes could not be higher.
"This is going to be expensive. This is going be nasty. It's going to be bitter. Surrogates for both parties are going to be pouring into the state, because this could be potentially the race on which control of the U.S. Senate hinges," Wilson said.
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