Erik Gomez, 26, is the mayor of Sabinal and one of the youngest mayors in Texas. He backed U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary against Attorney General Ken Paxton, according to the Texas Tribune. Gomez wrote a plea used in a Cornyn campaign fundraising email a year ago, and in March he told primary voters he wanted to "keep Texas red."
Before the May runoff, Gomez posted a warning about Paxton on social media. He cited Paxton's past scandals, including an impeachment by Texas House Republicans over allegations that he abused his office. The Senate acquitted Paxton. Paxton defeated Cornyn by 27 points in the primary.
In an interview, Gomez said Cornyn "was doing right by Texas" but that some people cannot be made happy. The Tribune reports that after the loss, Gomez began to open to the idea of supporting Paxton and defended Paxton's efforts to win Cornyn voters.
The story notes that Texas Latino voters, the state's largest ethnic voter bloc, could play a key role in Tuesday's midterm election. That race could decide which party controls the state and possibly Congress.