President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he will soon endorse a candidate in the GOP Senate primary in Texas, a move that is considered crucial as it could impact the runoff between Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that whoever he does not back should drop out of the race.
“My Endorsements within the Republican Party have been virtually insurmountable!” Trump wrote. “It is such an honor to realize and say that almost everyone I Endorse WINS, and wins by a lot, especially in Texas! 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!!!”
Before Tuesday’s primary, a Cornyn ally said that the president would likely endorse Cornyn if the incumbent kept the contest close. A source suggested Cornyn is viewed as a safer option of holding onto the seat, given Paxton’s controversies. Paxton’s wife is divorcing him on “biblical grounds,” and 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 of the primary vote on Tuesday.
“We believe the case for Trump endorsing Cornyn got stronger,” a Cornyn campaign official said Wednesday. The official declined to say if the campaign had been in touch with the White House, but added, “Stay tuned.”
Senate Republican leaders, who for months have been pushing Trump to back Cornyn, echoed those calls again on Wednesday. Some Republicans viewed Democrat James Talarico as a tougher general election opponent with more bipartisan appeal than Rep. Jasmine Crockett after his win on the Democratic side.
Paxton’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.
