Former Texas Governor Rick Perry has pledged that his political group, the Lone Star Freedom Project, will spend "whatever we need" to support Senator John Cornyn in his bruising Republican primary. The group has already invested nearly $18 million in Cornyn's campaign, making it one of the top outside backers in the race. Cornyn faces challenges from Attorney General Ken Paxton and Representative Wesley Hunt in a contest expected to go to a May runoff.

With $98.2 million in total ad spending, the Texas Senate race has become the second-most expensive in the country. Pro-Cornyn sources have contributed about three-quarters of the Republican spending, yet recent polls show Paxton leading. Perry's commitment signals that outside spending will intensify if the race extends to a runoff after the March 3 primary.

Cornyn warns that Paxton's nomination could trigger an "Election Day massacre" for Republicans, arguing the attorney general's ethical baggage would alienate moderate voters. The incumbent has emphasized his four-decade record of conservative leadership and border security work, while Paxton campaigns as a MAGA-aligned alternative to the establishment GOP. With Trump declining to endorse any candidate, the race has become a proxy battle over the party's direction in Texas.