With Texas Republicans facing the prospect of a bruising battle between Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for the nomination for the seat Cornyn now holds, longtime political advisor Mark McKinnon said the GOP in Texas may have a bigger problem.

Appearing on MS NOW’s “The Weekend,” McKinnon noted that he has been historically skeptical about enthusiasm for rising political stars, but Democratic nominee James Talarico seems to have tapped into something and voter turnout this past week should make the GOP leadership sit up and notice.

McKinnon, who has worked for Republicans including ex-President George W. Bush and the late Senator John McCain (R-AZ) told host Jonathan Capehart, “They're really freaked out about James Talarico. This guy is a once-in-a-generation talent. He's got a message and a style that really appeals to not only Democrats, but independents and soft Republicans, and obviously, particularly if the runoff, if the Republicans nominate Ken Paxton, who's very unpopular, has tons of ethics problem, there's a real shot here.“

“I’m the guy that usually taps the brakes every few years when people come to me and say, ‘Oh, Texas turning, turning blue, turning blue And I'm saying, ‘Now wait a minute, wait a minute. You know, just because there's more Hispanics doesn't mean they're voting Democratic,” he conceded.