I’ve been involved in my share of odd U.S. Senate races ever since my first in 1992, when I worked on the reelection campaign of New York Sen. Alfonse D’Amato, who won a difficult reelection by a 1.25 percent margin. But this year’s Texas Senate race is certain to be among the strangest on record.

With Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton trouncing incumbent Sen. John Cornyn for the GOP nomination in Tuesday’s run-off contest, the stage is set for November’s general election, when Paxton will face Democrat James Talarico, a four-term statehouse representative from Austin.

At this point in the race, the tea leaves are difficult to read. As attorney general, Paxton has won three statewide elections, the narrowest margin of victory being 3.5 percent eight years ago. He won by 10 points in his last outing in 2022, and by a whopping 21 percent in his first run for AG. He has a nearly universal name ID in Texas and a substantial voter base.

That’s not to say he’s without vulnerabilities. Paxton had to fight off a 20-count impeachment effort in 2023, and a Republican-led House voted overwhelmingly to impeach him before he was acquitted in the state Senate. Last year, Paxton’s wife filed for divorce on “biblical grounds,” alleging adultery in the proceedings. While impeachment........

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