Republican officials in Texas are overwhelmingly backing former President Donald Trump over former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to be the party’s nominee for president in 2024 following his victory in the New Hampshire primary.
Trump clocked 54.3% of the vote and gained 12 delegates in New Hampshire after trouncing his opponents in the Iowa Caucus. The win has led many holdouts to endorse Trump, and there are now growing calls for Haley to suspend her campaign so the party can unify behind the former president.
Trump is now the first Republican non-incumbent candidate to win both Iowa and New Hampshire ahead of the general election. The victory has led to a shift in support as more elected Republicans are climbing aboard the Trump train.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is one of the bigger names to have endorsed Trump. Cruz ran against Trump in 2016, winning Iowa, but ultimately dropped out of the race. Cruz offered his endorsement after Trump won the Iowa primary earlier this month.
“The men and women of Iowa, they take their responsibility incredibly seriously, they scrutinize the candidates. It’s an amazing process, and I’m a big believer in letting democracy play out,” Cruz said, according to The Texas Tribune. “Last night it played out and, I gotta say, Trump’s victory was across the board.”
Gov. Greg Abbott also endorsed Trump. He said he believes Trump will provide federal assistance to secure the southern border that is being overrun by record-high levels of unlawful migration. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has also voiced his support. Other notable Republican officials in Texas to back Trump’s bid include Attorney General Ken Paxton, Agricultural Commissioner Sid Miller, and Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) has also endorsed Trump, citing “failed Biden border policies and record-high inflation” as the reasons, per The Texas Tribune.
So far, 15 of the 25 Texas Republicans in the U.S. House have backed Trump. Rep. Chip Roy is a notable outlier. He had backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who dropped out of the race last Sunday, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The House Republicans from Texas who have offered endorsements to Trump are Reps. Brian Babin, Michael Burgess, John Carter, Monica De La Cruz, Pat Fallon, Tony Gonzales, Lance Gooden, Wesley Hunt, Ronny Jackson, Troy Nehls, Keith Self, Pete Sessions, Beth Van Duyne, Randy Weber, and Roger Williams, according to the latest list from The Hill.
Congressional candidate from North Texas Brandon Gill also endorsed Trump, who returned the favor. Gill also received an endorsement from Cruz for his bid to assume Burgess’ seat following Burgess’ announcement that he would not be seeking reelection.