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In recent months, the Senate has struggled to pass the crucial SAVE America Act, a key piece of legislation with strong backing from President Trump and widespread support from Americans across the political spectrum. Additionally, the Senate has failed to secure funding for the Department of Homeland Security, leading to its continued shutdown.
To advance President Trump’s agenda, the Senate requires significant reform, and electing Ken Paxton could be a pivotal step in that direction. Paxton is a seasoned conservative who emerged resilient from a politically charged impeachment trial. For years, he has been a staunch advocate for President Trump, opposing the Islamization of Texas, the Left’s open-border policies, and what he describes as “woke Democrat insanity.” Paxton is committed to championing the president’s goals in the Senate—a quality that many Texans find appealing.
Paxton is currently locked in a competitive primary runoff against four-term incumbent John Cornyn, who is a well-established figure in Texas politics and enjoys substantial financial backing. However, many voters in Texas are eager for change. They desire a Senator who will tenaciously challenge the Left and employ every strategy necessary to succeed. Ken Paxton is seen by many as the candidate who can fulfill that role.
Consider what happened recently with the SAVE America Act. Washington has always known the only way the bill will get passed is if the Senate utilizes the “talking filibuster.” Unfortunately, that isn’t something Senator Cornyn was willing to do – at least not until Ken Paxton forced his hand. Only then did Cornyn come out in support of the talking filibuster.
Texans are aware that Paxton spearheaded efforts to advance the SAVE America Act, distinguishing himself from Cornyn. This legislation could significantly impact the future of the nation. With such high stakes, Texas requires a Senator eager to engage in the battle, rather than one who only shifts rightward under electoral pressure.
It is important to remember that illegal immigration was a defining issue in the 2024 election. Republicans were granted a mandate to secure the border and address illegal immigration comprehensively. The American electorate has expressed a desire to reclaim their nation, and they have tasked Republicans with fulfilling these objectives.
Nothing would constitute a more catastrophic and unforgivable political betrayal than amnesty for illegal aliens. Implementing such a policy would rip the Republican Party apart. Unfortunately, Senator Cornyn has a long history of support for amnesty that lasts to the present day.
Going all the way back to 2003, Cornyn introduced an immigration reform bill that – if enacted – would have provided amnesty to millions of illegal aliens, while also creating individual investment accounts funded by payroll taxes for those newly-amnestied aliens. Notably, while defending his bill in 2004, Cornyn decried “extremists” who wanted to “build a wall” that would stop the flow of illegal aliens. He maintained that rhetoric for over a decade. As late as 2016, Cornyn further bashed President Trump’s border wall proposal as “naive,” saying it “makes no sense whatsoever.”
In 2018, Cornyn sponsored a bipartisan immigration reform bill that would have provided amnesty to 1.8 million illegal aliens. Alarmingly, this remains a priority for him today. In an interview with Politico just last month, Cornyn suggested amnesty for DACA recipients would be one of his key policy goals over the next two years, if re-elected.
I cannot support a Republican Senate candidate from my home state who won’t reject amnesty boldly and unambiguously – especially after four years of chaotic, lawless and utterly destructive open borders. Cornyn misses the moment. America needs deportations, not amnesty, and my constituents agree.
Of equal concern, Senator Cornyn has a record of supporting mass migration which directly fueled the disturbing Islamization of Texas. In 2021, Cornyn signed a letter to Joe Biden, urging him to expedite importation of Afghan refugees into American communities – even asking Biden to waive paperwork requirements. That same year, while parts of the country were shut down due to Covid, Cornyn sponsored the HOPE for Afghan SIVs Act, which waived medical requirements for Afghan immigrants, allowing them to “efficiently immigrate to the United States.” Of course, importing tens of thousands of destitute Afghan Muslims into American neighborhoods is a recipe for disaster – one we are currently dealing with today.
This isn’t sustainable. If the Republican Party is going to remain viable long term, we have to recognize that borders matter, that we have no obligation to open our doors to unassimilable cultures, and we must deliver wins for voters when they demand common sense bills like the SAVE America Act. Failing to recognize and act on these critical fights, is a betrayal that may destroy our party. Immigration touches everything, and it is an issue we cannot get wrong.
What the Senate needs is a conservative warrior, somebody who won’t just stand with President Trump, but someone who will fight alongside him every step of the way, and do it when it matters. Texas needs a Senator who will fight tooth and nail against amnesty, not support it.
But most importantly, Texans deserve a Senator who knows what time it is, who recognizes that Americans are losing their country, and it’s our job to fix it. Ken Paxton has demonstrated that he will do just that.
Electing Ken Paxton is the single greatest opportunity in 2026 to send a message that Texans will not tolerate anything less. That’s why in the upcoming runoff elections, I’ll be voting for Paxton, and I hope you will too.
Brandon Gill represents Texas’ 26th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives.