'We’re not bluffing... it is a serious threat,' says Cornyn of possible Cruz loss

Texas Sens. Ted Cruz, left, and John Cornyn confer during a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on Russia's alleged interference in last year's election, on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 8, 2017. Sally Yates, the former acting attorney general, and James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence, appeared before the committee. (Stephen Crowley/The New York Times) less Texas Sens. Ted Cruz, left, and John Cornyn confer during a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on Russia's alleged interference in last year's election, on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 8, 2017. Sally ... more Photo: STEPHEN CROWLEY, STF Photo: STEPHEN CROWLEY, STF Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close 'We’re not bluffing... it is a serious threat,' says Cornyn of possible Cruz loss 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

Ted Cruz and other Republicans seem to be losing sleep over his tight race with Rep. Beto O'Rourke.

A new report published this week by Politico reveals the extent to which GOP officials have, in the magazine's words, embarked on a "rescue mission" for Cruz.

One major highlight from the report is an interview with Sen. John Cornyn, the number two Senate Republican who told Politico his party should not underestimate the El Paso Democrat.

"We're not bluffing, this is real, and it is a serious threat," Cornyn said. "If Ted does his job and we do ours, I think we'll be fine. But if we have donors sitting on the sidelines thinking that, 'Well, this isn't all that serious,' or 'I don't need to be concerned,' then that's a problem."

According to Politico, senior Republicans are worried that a potential Cruz defeat could hurt down-ballot Republicans, endangering the state's position as a GOP stronghold.

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"Behind the scenes, the White House, party leaders and conservative outside groups have begun plotting a full-fledged effort to bolster Cruz," the magazine reported.

One of the more obvious attempts to secure a Cruz win was seeking out the help of President Donald Trump.

Politico discovered that in July, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick traveled to the Washington D.C. to ask Trump to campaign for Cruz, eventually leading to the president's planned rally at the "biggest stadium in Texas" this October.

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In recent weeks, Cruz has cranked up his attacks against O'Rourke, no doubt a sign of the heated contest.

Earlier this month, his campaign released a digital ad highlighting curse words O'Rourke has used in the past. Another recent ad attacked O'Rourke for his viral answer to why NFL players should be allowed to kneel during the national anthem.

"In a series of television and digital ads," Houston Chronicle's Kevin Diaz reported, "Cruz has sought to frame O'Rourke as too liberal for Texas, highlighting comments on abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, impeaching Trump, and decriminalizing marijuana."

Fernando Ramirez covers Texas news and politics. Read him on our breaking news site and on our subscriber site. | Fernando.ramirez@chron.com | @fernramirez93



