A married Texas couple stole the show on MS NOW as the pair sparred about their preferred candidates in the state’s Senate GOP runoff primary.
Ahead of Tuesday’s election between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Trump-endorsed MAGA firebrand Ken Paxton, the Stefans appear to be a house divided.
In a segment on Ana Cabrera Reports, Michael Stefan admitted that Paxton, the state’s attorney general who has faced allegations of bribery and marriage misconduct, is not the perfect candidate.
“It’s not a great choice, either one, really,” Michael Stefan admitted. “But I think I lean toward Paxton, for sure. He’s local. Cornyn hasn’t always been with the Republicans the way I would like. But it was a tough choice. But I did vote for Paxton on the runoff.”
Gayla Stefan, a self-described independent, put her criticism more bluntly.
“He’s a crook,” she said of Paxton. “Yeah, that’s it, period. He’s just a crook.”
Her husband responded, smiling, “That’s an independent talking.”
After weeks of uncertainty, President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton last week, calling him “someone who has always been extremely loyal to me and our AMAZING MAGA MOVEMENT,” while dissing Cornyn as disloyal and complaining he “was not supportive of me when times were tough.”
Trump’s endorsement may backfire, however, as the odds that Texas will flip blue sharply increased after Trump gave his input on the race. Some polling suggests that Democratic candidate James Talarico would have an easier time beating Paxton in a general election than he would Cornyn.
And Paxton is no stranger to scandals. The Texas House impeached him in 2023 over allegations of bribery, abuse of public trust, and obstruction of justice. His ex-wife, Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton, divorced him on “biblical grounds” last year.
Senate Republicans are not too keen on Trump’s pick either, as the National Republican Senatorial Committee had endorsed Cornyn for re-election.
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine has called him “an ethically challenged individual.”
To that, outgoing GOP North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said, “To call Paxton ethically challenged is to call Jeffrey Dahmer suffering from an eating disorder. This guy is an empty suit and will do us no service by being in the U.S. Congress.”
