After months of speculation, Rep. Wesley Hunt (R) has launched his Texas Senate race campaign. The Texas Congressman now joins a contentious Republican primary that includes incumbent Senator John Cornyn (R) and Attorney General Ken Paxton (R).
In a statement, Rep. Hunt said that “the U.S. Senate race in Texas must be about more than a petty feud between two men who have spent months trading barbs.” “With my candidacy, this race will finally be about what’s most important – Texas,” he affirmed.
Ahead of his announcement, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) launched a campaign to warn donors and voters of a possible bid from Rep. Hunt.
Calling it “a vanity project” earlier this year, the NRSC urged Republicans to support Senator Cornyn’s re-election. Much of the campaign against Rep. Hunt has focused on his “roll-call vote absences,” and now that he’s announced his candidacy, the pushback continues.
Matt Mackowiak, the chair of the Travis County Republican Party and the Communications Director for Senator Corny’s re-election campaign, once again highlighted Rep. Hunt’s roll-call vote attendance.
From Chat GPT:
Here’s what is publicly known about Rep. Wesley Hunt’s roll‑call vote attendance (i.e. how many votes he missed) so far:
•Between January 2023 and September 2025, he missed 281 of 1,505 eligible roll‑call votes, which is about 18.7%of all roll‑call votes in that…
— Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) October 6, 2025
Citing a response from Chat GPT, the political consultant shared that “between January 2023 and September 2025, [Rep. Hunt] missed 281 of 1,505 eligible roll-call votes, which is about 18.7%of [sic] all roll-call votes in that period.” Moreover, “in his first year (as a freshman in the 118th Congress), he was reported to have missed nearly 23% of votes, making him among the House members with the highest absentee rate.”
Joanna Rodriguez, the NRSC communications director released a statement, reiterating Senator Cornyn's candidacy, and calling him "a battle-tested conservative who continues to be a leader in delivering President Trump’s agenda in the U.S. Senate."
Despite the criticism, Rep. Hunt believes he has the vision to succeed Senator Cornyn.
"I will ensure this campaign centers on what truly matters: Texas families, the protection of American energy, the security of our border, and the safety of every community across our great state," he affirmed.
President Donald Trump (R) has notably refrained from sharing an endorsement. Given that Rep. Hunt is closely aligned with the President, an endorsement could significantly boost his impact among the President's supporters.
