Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt Declares ’12 Years Is Enough’ for Senate

Texas Representative Wesley Hunt has declared that serving in the United States Senate for only two terms—12 years—is sufficient for any senator, stating: “The United States Senate is not a retirement community.”

Hunt, 44, made the remark during his campaign for the Republican nomination for Texas’s U.S. Senate seat in a three-way primary that also includes incumbent Senator John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. In an interview, Hunt described his new campaign ad—accusing Cornyn of partnering with gun control advocates, amnesty programs, and allowing 50,000 Afghan migrants into the country—as a playful jab. The ad concludes with: “Vote like a Democrat. Act like a Democrat. Must be a Democrat.”

Hunt emphasized that his core message is serious ahead of the March 3 primary. “I think it’s time for us to have a true conservative serving in the halls of the Senate, and John Cornyn is clearly just not that guy,” he said. “When you’ve been around for 24 years, that is long enough.”

Cornyn, who was first elected in 2002, is seeking his fifth term at age 74. According to The RealClearPolitics polling average, Paxton leads Cornyn by two percentage points (29.8% to 27.8%), with Hunt at 19.5%.

Hunt noted that voters across Texas have repeatedly thanked him for committing to term limits: “I’m going to do two terms, 12 years. That is it.” A West Point graduate and former Army Aviation Branch combat veteran who flew 55 missions in Baghdad, Hunt added: “I’m somebody that’s willing to die for this country and die for Texas.”

Hunt stated that if elected, he would aim to be “the energy senator of the entire world,” labeling oil and natural gas development an issue of national security. He pledged to focus on “unleashing American energy” and “codifying President Trump’s agenda in the halls of the Senate.”

When asked about potential Democratic opponents, including Representative Jasmine Crockett and state representative James Talarico, Hunt dismissed concerns by stating he is already ahead in the general election: “The best thing about me is I’m actually already pulling ahead … in the general election, regardless of who I run against.” He also expressed interest in debating Crockett: “Quite personally, I would love to debate Jasmine Crockett,” while predicting strong performance against either candidate in November.