Texas Governor Declines to Endorse in Senate Runoff Between Cornyn and Paxton

Abbott told reporters "I haven’t made one yet, and I’m not going to make one" after a news conference on criminal justice, according to The Dallas Morning News. The runoff is set for May 26 after neither Cornyn nor Paxton won a majority in the March primary.

The winner will face Democratic nominee James Talarico in the November general election. Newsweek reached out to both campaigns for comment. President Donald Trump has not formally backed a candidate in the race. Other prominent Republican lawmakers in the state have also stayed away from backing a candidate.

The Senate primary race has been noticeably icy between Cornyn and Paxton amid numerous campaign ads and posts to social media. Cornyn has said Paxton is plagued with scandals while Paxton has gone after Cornyn over immigration and says he helps Democrats.

A Texas Public Opinion Research poll conducted from April 17 to April 20 among 1,018 likely voters showed Talarico leading Cornyn 44 percent to 41 percent and leading Paxton 46 percent to 41 percent. The poll has a margin of error of 3.3 percent.

A co/efficient poll taken from April 11 to April 14 among 1,143 likely Republican primary voters showed Paxton one point behind Cornyn, 43 percent to 44 percent, with 13 percent undecided. The poll has a margin of error of 3.07 percent. Support breaks down with 43 percent of women backing Paxton versus 44 percent for Cornyn.

Among men, 44 percent choose Paxton versus 43 percent for Cornyn. Cornyn holds a 10-point lead among Hispanics, 47 percent to 37 percent. Prediction market site Polymarket showed Paxton leading with 62 percent compared to Cornyn's 39 percent on Friday afternoon.

“I'm looking at it very strongly. I like them both. I'll tell you what I do think, I think the Democrats have a weird, a weird candidate.”

President Donald Trump made the comments aboard Air Force One while returning from China when asked about a possible endorsement. All eyes now turn to the May 26 runoff where Republican voters will choose between the two candidates.