Interests of a 50-Year-Old

A 50-year-old in Texas is the most ideologically split of all the age-bracket graders — old enough to remember Reagan personally, often a homeowner with stock-market exposure, frequently a small-business owner, and the peak sandwich-generation member responsible for both kids and aging parents. Cornyn's rural-hospital legislation, Medicare Advantage support, and small-business framework address some 50-year-old concerns more directly than Paxton's record does. Paxton's small-business AG posture appeals to small-business-owner 50-year-olds, his Corporate Transparency Act lawsuit directly helps them with regulatory burden, his cultural conservatism resonates with the half of this cohort that's been Republican since 1980. Both fall short on the specific financial concerns of this age — long-term care, prescription drugs, ACA bridge years, retirement security.