Former U.S. Representative Beto O’Rourke drew more than 700 people to a town hall in Beaumont on Monday, urging Texans to stay engaged on issues ranging from veterans’ health care to immigration and nuclear disarmament. While he avoided a formal campaign announcement, O’Rourke said public service remains central to his plans and left open the possibility of contesting the state’s 2026 U.S. Senate race. O’Rourke’s appearance comes as the Republican primary landscape grows volatile. A poll circulated this week shows Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton leading four-term Senator John Cornyn by roughly 20 percentage points, intensifying speculation that Cornyn may reconsider seeking re-election. Paxton has amplified attacks on Cornyn’s record on border security, while Cornyn has hardened his own immigration stance in response. The former El Paso congressman, who narrowly lost the 2018 Senate race and later sought the presidency and governorship, has been holding similar forums across Texas, particularly in Republican-held districts. Political strategists say a weakened Republican incumbent could give Democrats their clearest opening in a statewide contest since the 1990s, though any path to victory would require uniting the party’s factions and courting independents.