WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate, backing the challenger over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn one week before the May 26 election.
Trump announced the endorsement on Truth Social, praising Paxton as “a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate.” He added that Cornyn “is a good man, and I worked well with him, but he was not supportive of me when times were tough.”
The move comes as early voting is underway in Texas, which began on Monday and runs through Friday. Cornyn narrowly led Paxton in the March 3 Republican primary with about 42% to Paxton’s roughly 40.5% of the vote, with neither reaching the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff.
Paxton, who has served as attorney general since 2015, welcomed the endorsement. “I have consistently stood by President Trump, even when the Washington establishment and career politicians like John Cornyn turned their back on the President,” he said in a statement. “Now, I look forward to winning this critical Senate seat and delivering victory after victory for the people of Texas.”
Cornyn, first elected to the Senate in 2002, emphasized his voting record with Trump. In a statement, he urged Republican voters to consider the general election matchup against Democratic nominee state Rep. James Talarico of Austin. “It is now time for Texas Republican voters to decide if they want a strong nominee to help our GOP candidates down ballot ... or a weak nominee who jeopardizes everything we care about,” Cornyn said.
The contest has drawn heavy spending from both sides and their allies, with tens of millions of dollars poured into advertising during the runoff period. Cornyn has highlighted his experience and establishment support, including from Senate Majority Leader John Thune. Paxton has positioned himself as a stronger voice for the party’s conservative base.
Trump had signaled months earlier that he would make an endorsement in the race shortly after the March primary but delayed doing so. In his Tuesday post, he highlighted Paxton’s support for ending the Senate filibuster and advancing the SAVE America Act, a priority for the president.
The runoff winner will face Talarico in the November general election in the heavily Republican state. Recent polls had shown the race between Cornyn and Paxton to be close.
Rep. Wesley Hunt, who finished third in the March primary, endorsed Paxton following Trump’s announcement and called for unity behind the attorney general.
Details on immediate campaign reactions and any shifts in polling remained fluid as of Tuesday afternoon.
