President Donald Trump said Wednesday he would “soon” endorse a candidate in Texas’ GOP Senate primary, Sen. Republicans say it could be decisive in the race between John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote that whoever won’t back down should drop out of the race, writing that the primary contest “must stop now.”
“My endorsements within the Republican Party are virtually insurmountable!” Trump wrote. “It’s an honor to realize and say that almost everyone I endorse will win and win by a lot, especially in Texas! I will make my endorsement soon and ask that I not endorse a candidate to immediately drop out of the race! Is this fair? We must win in November!!!”
Ahead of Tuesday’s primary, a person familiar with the White House’s thinking on the race said Trump is likely to endorse Cornyn if the senator keeps the race close.
The man suggested Cornyn was a safe bet to keep the seat, given Paxton’s various controversies. Paxton’s wife was divorcing him on “biblical grounds,” and although he was acquitted by the state senate, he was impeached in 2023 on bribery and corruption charges.
Cornyn and Paxton advanced to a May 26 runoff after neither candidate won a majority in Tuesday’s primary vote. Cornyn leads Paxton 42% to 41%.
“We believe the case for Trump’s endorsement of Cornyn has been strengthened,” a Cornyn campaign official said Wednesday. The official declined to say whether the campaign was in contact with the White House, but added, “Stay tuned.”
Senate Republican leaders, who have been urging Trump for months to back Cornyn, re-upped those calls Wednesday, arguing that he is a strong nominee as Democrats look to make the race in the historically red state competitive in the fall.
Democrats on Tuesday selected state Rep. James Talarico as their party’s nominee. Some Republicans viewed Talarico as a tougher general election opponent with more bipartisan appeal than Rep. Jasmine Crockett, known for her combative style and clashes with Trump.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, RS.D., said Cornyn had a “great night” and noted that it “doesn’t help” that Democrats already have their nominee.
“He’s in a position to win the runoff, and if the president approves early it will save everybody a lot of money and a lot — just 10 weeks of intense campaigning on our side that prevents us from spending time focusing on Democrats,” Thune said of Cornyn.
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said, “We have to hold that seat, which means we have to nominate somebody who’s going to win in November, and to me, only one of those two is going to go to a runoff, and that’s John Cornyn. I encourage the president to make his own decision.”
George See, a longtime Cornyn supporter and major Texas Republican donor, said Wednesday that a Trump endorsement could end the primary fight.
“It would be so refreshing if the president would just come out and say, ‘Let’s re-elect John Cornyn, we’ve had enough of this.’
Texas Republican strategist Brendan Steinhauser, who managed Cornyn’s re-election campaign in 2014 but is not involved in this year’s race, said he expected both Cornyn and Paxton to make their cases to the White House after Tuesday’s primary.
“To John Cornyn, he’s going to say he’s got a good shot against Talarico, save money for the party, etc. To Paxton, he’s going to say to the president, ‘I’m your most loyal friend and ally in Texas. I’ve never wavered. And I’m with you all the way,'” Steinhauser said. “So the president is going to consider those arguments and we’ll see what he does.”
Paxton’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday, but a super PAC backing him indicated it was gearing up for a fight.
“Ken Paxton entered the narrow runoff as the prohibitive favorite against career Rhino John Cornyn, after establishment DC outscored us 10-1 but came close to removing a 30-year incumbent,” said Greg Keller, who runs Lone Star Liberty PAC. He added that runoff voters are historically “more conservative,” and polls showed Paxton is popular with Trump’s voter base.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, reiterated Wednesday that he is neutral in the primary, saying Trump’s truthful social media post about the race “speaks for itself.”
“I’m not surprised that the president is going to give the endorsement,” Cruz said. “I think we’ll all wait and see what he has to say.”
