President Donald Trump has called for an end to the Republican primary race for the U.S. Senate in Texas. He urged all party members to focus on decisively defeating the “Radical Left Opponent.”
Trump stated that he will soon endorse a candidate and ask the other contender to drop out immediately to ensure a victory in November.
Primary Results and Runoff
As The Dallas Express reported on Tuesday, Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton advanced to a May runoff after neither secured enough votes in the March 3 primary to claim the Republican nomination outright. Rep. Wesley Hunt finished third and reportedly pledged not to support Cornyn – a sign of the inner-party tensions now defining the race.
Trump’s intervention and call-out put a spotlight on the high stakes of the seat. Party leaders are generally eager to avoid a prolonged primary fight that could leave the eventual nominee “damaged” heading into the general election.
The President appears to have the Democratic matchup squarely in mind: “We have an easy to beat, Radical Left Opponent, and we have to TOTALLY FOCUS on putting him away, quickly and decisively!”
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett conceded the race to Rep. James Talarico, who holds a sizable lead, so it is unlikely these ballots would change the results, The Dallas Express reported.
Trump’s Call to End the Primary
The President has consistently used his endorsement as a decisive force in Republican primaries. “My Endorsements within the Republican Party have been virtually insurmountable!” Trump wrote. “Almost everyone I Endorse WINS, and wins by a lot, especially in Texas!”
Both Cornyn and Paxton bring stacked political resumes to the runoff. Cornyn, a four-term senator and former Senate Majority Whip, has deep ties to the Texas Republican establishment. Paxton, who survived his own impeachment trial in 2023, has built a loyal base within the party.
The runoff is scheduled for May, giving both camps about two months to prepare. However, if Trump has his way, one of the candidates will withdraw, making the May election unnecessary.
The President concluded his March 4 post by writing, “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! Is that fair? We must win in November!!! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
