politics
Texas Governor Declines to Endorse in Senate Runoff Between Cornyn and Paxton
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he will not endorse either incumbent Senator John Cornyn or Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican Senate runoff scheduled for May 26. The race advanced to a runoff after neither candidate secured a majority in the March primary. Polls show a close contest between the two Republicans, with prediction markets favoring Paxton.
May 15, 5:26 PM·2m read1 source
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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.
