Texas Sends a Message: Cornyn Is Out — Now the Real Fight Begins

Texas conservatives finally got the result many have been working toward for years.

In this episode of Live to Shoot – Defending the 2nd Amendment, Jeff Dowdle breaks down Ken Paxton's victory over longtime Senator John Cornyn and what this election means for gun owners, constitutional conservatives, and the future of Texas politics.

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Welcome to the Live Shoot Podcast. My name is Jeff Dowdle, and I've been a licensed firearm dealer for the last eighteen years, and this podcast will talk about all things related to the Second Amendment, anything else going on in the world, sports story, or anything else I might find interesting. So welcome, welcome, welcome. Well, Texas finally did something me and a whole lot of others have been wanting to do for years. John Cornyn is out. And I promise, I know we talked about John Cornyn last, uh, episode, um, and Ken Paxton in this election. We'll talk about them now, and then we won't... You know, we're not gonna be talking about him every week, but this is gonna be a big upcoming Senate election, um, and I wanna talk about that a little bit today. But, um, you know, Cornyn's out, and it's time. You know, after decades in Washington, the voters finally sent this message to the establishment. If you betray us, the, as voters, the conservatives, and you compromise our core constitutional rights, and if you treat the Second Amendment like something negotiable, eventually the grassroots are gonna catch up to you. And this week, Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated longtime Senator John Cornyn in one of the biggest political upsets in Texas history. And for a lot of gun owners in Texas, this wasn't just another primary. It was personal. So let's be honest about what happened here. This didn't come out of nowhere. Grassroot conservatives have been frustrated with Cornyn for years. One of the biggest, uh, breaking points was his support, and I've talked about this before, the so-called consu- Safer Communities, uh, Act back in 2022. It was a, quote-unquote, "bipartisan gun bill that extended federal government involvement in firearm purchases, encouragement red flag style interventions, and pushed enhanced background check on younger voters." And for many Texas, uh, gun owners, this was unforgivable, because once again, after a tragedy, Washington's answer was f- more federal gun control, and Cornyn helped deliver it. That, uh, law became symbolic of something bigger, a Republican senator from Texas helping normalize federal gun restrictions, and voters remembered. There were also years of frustration over immigration and border security, with many conservatives accusing Cornyn of being too willing to entertain establishment compromise and amnesty style discussions rather than fighting aggressively for border enforcement. In today's Republican Party, especially in Texas, the old establishment style politics is losing ground fast. So what does it mean? Now, whether you agree with Paxton on every issue or not, one thing is crystal clear. The grassroots wants a fighter, not a manager, not a negotiator, and a fighter. Paxton has built his support by positioning himself as someone willing to confront the federal government directly, especially on constitutional s- issues, border security, and the Second Amendment, and the voters responded. This wasn't just a campaign, uh, victory. This was a rejection of the old Republican establishment wing. And nationally, people are paying attention. But now the real race changes because next up is Democrat James Talarico, and we're going to be talking a bit, a good bit about him in the next coming months because we've gotta get the message out about him. And if you think conservatives, uh uh, took the fight with Cornyn, they're mistaken. It's just beginning. Todd Green presents himself as a moderate and a compassionate, but in policy, he's firmly progressive. He supports universal background checks, raising the age to purchase semi-automatic rifles, and like many modern progressive politicians, he frames gun ownership as something that should be increasingly regulated by federal government. That alone should, uh, concern every Second Amendment supporter in Texas. But it is much more than just policy. It's his worldview. And let's just take a listen. This is a campaign ad, but it gives you some quotes from him about what he really believes. The Democrats have a weird, a weird candidate. God is non-binary. There are many more than two biological sexes. In fact, there are six. It is now existential that, uh, we try to reduce our meat consumption. The American flag is such a complicated symbol for most of us. Prophetic voices like Jesus have helped me reckon with my own whiteness, my own masculinity. Our southern border should be like our front porch. There should be a giant welcome mat out front. No need to sit and cry over, you know, your whiteness or your masculinity. They're gonna call me a radical leftist. Something that you love that's not family or friends. I love, I'm just saying this 'cause it's on my mind, the trans children. The Democrats have a weird, a weird candidate. Low T Talarico, too weak for Texas. Lone Star Liberty PAC is responsible for the content of this ad. God's non-binary. Uh, he believes in more genders and, uh, that there's six genders. If you ha-haven't also heard, his campaign is now a, uh, has gone meatless. He, uh, doesn't believe that, uh, Texans should, uh, be able to enjoy, uh, their steaks. Um, but, uh, he's built a national following among progressive, clitoral, and religiously messaging. He's promoted highly progressive views on gender li-identity, LB- LGBTQ, a-and an exclusivity in ways that resonate strongly with the activist left. Conservatives see that as part of a broader cultural movement that increasingly targets traditional values, parental authority, and biological reality. And whether it's schools, gender ideology, or government involvement in family decisions, many Texas voters believe the left has moved dramatically out of step with ordinary Am-Americans. Now, look, we can all d- uh, disagree without demonizing each other, but elections matter because policies matter, and voters are going to have to make a clear contrast in this race. One constant-- One candidate is running on a constitutional conservative focused on gun rights, border security, and s- and state sovereignty. The other one's running on progressive platform centered around expanded government involvement, stricter gun laws, uh, very different cultural visions for Texas. And here's the important part for gun owners. Do not assume Texas is automatically safe anymore. Democrats are gonna be pouring money into this race because they believe they finally have a candidate that can compete statewide. That means turnout matters, engagement matters, because if gun owners stay home thinking the race is already run, won, that's when bad things are gonna happen. This election is going to be a referendum on where Texas goes next. Do we stay firmly rooted in constitutional freedoms and individual liberty, or do we slowly drift towards the same progressive policies that we've seen spread across other states? That's the real fight. So for years, conservatives in Texas wanted accountability from Cornyn. They got it. But replacing only one Republican is only one step. Now comes the harder part, winning the general election and making sure Texas stays Texas because the Second Amendment is still under attack nationally. The cultural war is still raging, and the people who want more gun control, more federal power, and more government involvement in everyday life are not slowing down. Neither should we. So if you found this helpful, I want you to share it, subscribe it, get the word out. We've gotta start spreading the word about this James Talarico and the threat that he is, um, and what his crazy progressive left, uh, views are. If, if it alone, the fact that he wants a meatless campaign, um, should show you exactly where he is. So share it, um, get the word out, um, and we gotta continue to fight. So take care, and I will talk to you next week.