Trump endorses Ken Paxton in Texas runoff for US Senate: 'Loyalty to the cause of greatness'
President calls Sen. Cornyn a 'good man' who was 'very late in backing' 2024 campaign
President Donald Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday ahead of a crucial runoff vote for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.
Trump, 79, made the announcement on his Truth Social platform, referring to the 63-year-old Paxton as “an America First Patriot, and someone who has always been extremely loyal to me and our amazing MAGA movement.”
In his Truth Social post, the president wrote: “Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has always delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate. … Ken Paxton has gone through a lot, in many cases, very unfairly, but he is a Fighter, and knows how to win. Our Country needs Fighters, and also Loyalty to the Cause of Greatness.”
Read CP's Q&A with John Cornyn and Ken Paxton here
Trump also commended Paxton’s opponent, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, as a “good man” but criticized his lack of support for his 2024 presidential campaign. “... John was very late in backing me in what turned out to be a Historic Run for the Republican Nomination, and then, the Presidency, itself, both of which were Landslide Victories and, more importantly, gave us the Country that we have today,” he wrote.
In response to Trump’s announcement, Paxton said Tuesday on X that he was “honored to have President Trump’s complete and total endorsement, adding, “No one has ever fought harder for the American people than President Trump, and I look forward to championing his America First agenda in the Senate!”
Cornyn and Paxton failed to secure a majority of the vote in the state’s Republican Primary on March 3, forcing a May 26 runoff vote for the Republican nomination.
Shortly after the primary, Trump stated he would “soon” announce his endorsement and expects the other candidate to promptly drop from the race, calling his endorsements "insurmountable."
“Both John and Ken ran great races, but not good enough. Now, this one, must be PERFECT!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
With less than a week to go before the election, Trump’s endorsement is expected to further solidify Paxton’s slight edge over Cornyn in the polls.
A new poll suggests the winner of the Republican runoff could face a razor-thin general election battle against Democratic nominee James Talarico.
According to a survey released Monday by the Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center at Texas Southern University, Cornyn holds a narrow 45% to 44% lead over Talarico in a hypothetical general election matchup. Another 3% of respondents said they supported Libertarian candidate Ted Brown, while 8% remained undecided.
Early voting in the Texas primary began Monday, and the two Republican candidates are courting the Evangelical voting bloc. Many conservative Christians have shared their indecision with The Christian Post, particularly after Cornyn launched a Faith Advisory Council that names Pastors Robert Jeffress, Jack Graham and Max Lucado. While being named to Cornyn's advisory council was not tantamount to an endorsement, Lucado endorsed Cornyn weeks before the council's launch.
Political pundits have cast the Republican race as a contest between the conservative establishment, many of whom support the four-term senator, and populist conservatives who lean toward Paxton.
Ian M. Giatti is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ian.giatti@christianpost.com.
