President Endorses Texas Attorney General in Senate Runoff

The president endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday in the state's Senate runoff election against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn. The announcement came one week before the scheduled May 26 vote and aims to end a costly primary contest. The president posted on Truth Social that Paxton is a true MAGA Warrior who has always delivered for Texas and will continue to do so in the United States Senate.

The president also noted that Cornyn is a good man but was not supportive when times were tough and was very late in backing the president in the 2024 bid.

Background on the Race Paxton is heading to the runoff after neither candidate secured 50 percent of the vote in the March 3 primary. Cornyn received about 42 percent while Paxton received almost 41 percent, a margin of roughly 26,000 votes. Early voting began Monday.

The president had said in March that an endorsement would come soon and that the race could not continue for the good of the party and the country. Weeks passed without action, extending the primary and increasing costs for both campaigns.

Cornyn said he has worked closely with the president, who has consistently called him a friend in this race. Senate Republicans had backed Cornyn long before the president's endorsement. One senator called Paxton an ethically challenged individual while praising Cornyn as an outstanding senator who deserved the president's support.

Another senator acknowledged that the pathway for Paxton is more uphill and will cost more.

Paxton was first elected attorney general in 2014 and became a close ally of the president. He filed a lawsuit challenging former President Joe Biden's 2020 election win in four states that was later dismissed by the U.S. Supreme Court. He was acquitted by the state Senate after a 2023 impeachment by the Texas House.