Update: For Paxton, Cornyn, and Talarico’s initial reactions to President Trump’s “Complete and Total Endorsement,” read our continuing coverage story here.
President Donald Trump’s endorsement comes one week before Texas Republicans choose their U.S. Senate nominee.
President Donald Trump endorsed Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday in Texas’ Republican U.S. Senate runoff, giving Paxton a major boost in the final week of the race.
Trump announced the endorsement in a Truth Social post.
“Ken Paxton has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next United States Senator from the Great State of Texas – KEN PAXTON WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” Trump posted on May 19.
Trump did not endorse a candidate in the March Republican primary. Instead, he waited until after Cornyn and Paxton advanced to the runoff before making his choice.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Trump said after the March primary that he would eventually endorse one of the two candidates and ask the other to withdraw from the race.
“I will be making my Endorsement soon, and will be asking the candidate that I don’t Endorse to immediately DROP OUT OF THE RACE!” Trump wrote in March. “Is that fair? We must win in November!!! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Neither Cornyn nor Paxton secured enough votes in the March 3 Republican primary to win the nomination outright. The runoff is scheduled for May 26, with early voting running from May 18 through May 22.
Cornyn has served in the U.S. Senate since 2003 and has leaned on his experience, fundraising network, and support from Senate Republican leadership. Paxton has campaigned as a Trump-aligned conservative and has built a national profile through legal fights against the Biden administration.
The Republican nominee will face Democrat James Talarico in November.
Texas has not elected a Democrat to statewide office since 1994.
Election Day for the Republican runoff is May 26.
Trump’s endorsement gives Paxton the backing he has sought throughout the race and adds pressure on Cornyn in the final days of the runoff. Trump said in March that he would ask the candidate he did not endorse to drop out, though Cornyn had not publicly announced plans to withdraw as of 11:38 am Tuesday.
