Texas Republicans Put Aside Old Feuds to Unite Behind Ken Paxton’s Senate Bid

What’s the Big Story?

Imagine you and your sibling had a huge fight a year ago. You didn’t talk for months. But then, when your family needed to come together for something important, you both decided to put the fight behind you and team up again.

That’s essentially what’s happening in Texas politics right now.

Two Republican state representatives — Matt Shaheen and Jeff Leach — has had a rocky relationship with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. They were actually part of the group that tried to impeach him (meaning they tried to remove him from office) back in May 2023. It was a serious fight.

Now, both men have made a big decision: they’re fully supporting Paxton in his race to become Texas’s next U.S. Senate candidate, running against Democratic State Representative James Talarico.

Who Are These People?

Let’s break down the key names in this story:

• Ken Paxton — Texas’s current Attorney General (the state’s top lawyer). He was impeached by the Texas House in 2023 but was ultimately acquitted (cleared of all charges) by the Texas Senate.
• Matt Shaheen — A Republican state representative from Prosper, Texas. One of the 60 House Republicans who voted to impeach Paxton.
• Jeff Leach — A Republican state representative from Allen, Texas. Also voted to impeach Paxton and even served as an impeachment manager (basically a prosecutor during the Senate trial).
• John Cornyn — The current U.S. Senator from Texas. Shaheen and Leach had previously supported him, not Paxton.
• James Talarico — A Democratic state representative who is now Paxton’s main opponent for the Senate seat.

Shaheen and Leach both represent Collin County, which happens to be Paxton’s home turf — the area where Paxton grew up and started his political career.

Why Is This Such a Big Deal?

Here’s the timeline of events:

1. May 2023: Shaheen and Leach join 58 other House Republicans in voting to impeach Ken Paxton.
2. Paxton goes to trial in the Texas Senate (Leach even speaks during the trial against Paxton).
3. Paxton is acquitted — meaning he’s found not guilty on all counts.
4. After the trial, Paxton is apparently angry. He campaigns against Shaheen and Leach in their own Republican primary elections, trying to help their opponents beat them.
5. Despite Paxton’s efforts, both Shaheen and Leach win their primaries.
6. Now, in 2024, both men are publicly endorsing and supporting Paxton’s Senate campaign.

That’s quite the turnaround!

Important Point

This is a textbook example of a political truce. These representatives publicly opposed Paxton when they voted for impeachment and even faced backlash from him afterward. But now, with a general election ahead, they’ve decided to put their differences aside for the good of the Republican Party.

What Are They Saying?

Both representatives were interviewed by CBS News Texas about their change of heart. Here’s what they said:

Matt Shaheen:

• "I think the Republican voters spoke loud and clear that they preferred Ken Paxton. He won overwhelmingly in the primary."
• He emphasized that Republicans need to "motivate our base" and "get our Republican base out."
• He said he had a brief but positive conversation with Paxton, where they "committed to support each other."
• Shaheen talked about planning a "big get-out-the-vote event" to help Republicans win in November.

Jeff Leach:

• "Primaries are a time for us to pick our roster, to kind of have our family fights."
• "But once the slate is chosen… it’s incumbent upon us and for all Republicans to get out and support the ticket from the top to the bottom."
• He’s still waiting for a callback from Paxton but remains hopeful they’ll connect soon.
• He strongly urged Republicans to show up and vote, even saying that skipping the election is "a vote for Talarico."

Paxton’s campaign advisor, Nick Maddux, released a statement saying:

"We are grateful for the support of State Representatives Shaheen and Leach. We all share the same goal: keep Texas red from the top of the ticket all the way down."

Why Does This Matter for the Election?

The stakes here are really high.

Here’s what we know about the race:

• Recent polls show it’s extremely close. The four most recent independent polls, taken between June 1 and June 21, show this race is a dead heat.
• On average, Paxton leads Talarico by just 1.3 percentage points (45.8% to 44.5%).
• The Cook Political Report — a nonpartisan organization that analyzes elections — rates this race as "Lean Republican", meaning Paxton has a slight advantage but it’s far from a sure thing.

This means every Republican vote matters. If Republicans stay home or decide not to support Paxton because of old grudges, Democrats could win.

What Shaheen and Leach Are Criticizing About Talarico

Both representatives have been vocal about why they believe voters should pick Paxton over Talarico:

• Shaheen says Paxton "stands strong in protecting women’s privacy" and "protecting our jobs and our economy."
• Both have criticized Talarico’s past votes and statements on various issues.
• Leach specifically addressed Republican voters who might be tempted to skip the Senate race, calling that choice "a vote for Talarico."

Summary

Two Republican Texas state representatives — Matt Shaheen and Jeff Leach — have set aside a bitter feud with Attorney General Ken Paxton to fully endorse his U.S. Senate campaign against Democrat James Talarico. Both men voted to impeach Paxton in 2023, and Paxton later campaigned against them in their primaries. Despite this rocky history, they’ve chosen party unity over personal differences, emphasizing that now that the primary is over, all Republicans must rally behind the ticket. The Senate race is extremely close, with polls showing Paxton holding a razor-thin 1.3-point lead, making Republican turnout absolutely crucial for victory in November.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What does "impeach" mean?
A: Impeaching someone is like charging them with a crime in a political context. It means the Texas House formally accused Paxton of wrongdoing. But being impeached doesn’t mean you’re guilty — Paxton was later acquitted (found not guilty) after a trial in the Texas Senate.

Q: Why did Shaheen and Leach vote against their own party’s candidate (Paxton) during the impeachment?
A: We don’t have the full details of their reasons from this article, but they participated in the impeachment process based on whatever concerns or evidence they felt were justified at the time. The fact that they’re now supporting Paxton shows that they believe the Republican voters made the right choice in the primary.

Q: What does "keep Texas red" mean?
A: In American politics, "red" is the color associated with the Republican Party, while "blue" is associated with the Democratic Party. "Keeping Texas red" means ensuring Republicans win the elections and maintain power.

Q: Has Ken Paxton reconciled with Shaheen and Leach?
A: At the time of this reporting, Shaheen says he had a brief, positive conversation with Paxton, but Leach said he hasn’t heard back from Paxton yet. Paxton’s campaign did release a positive statement about their support, suggesting reconciliation is underway.

Q: When is the election?
A: The general election is held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The representatives are focused on getting Republicans to the polls for this November election.