Trump delivers 11th-hour endorsement to Paxton in Texas Senate runoff

President Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Texas Republican Senate primary runoff on Tuesday, a day after the start of early voting.

Why it matters: Senate Republicans spent months pleading with Trump to endorse incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn over Paxton.

Catch up quick: Trump had posted that an endorsement was coming after the March 3 primary and said whoever didn’t get his endorsement should drop out. That endorsement didn’t materialize at the time.

• But the president faced significant pushback from MAGA allies at the idea of a Cornyn endorsement.
• Cornyn’s Senate Republican allies and their affiliated groups have spent tens of millions of dollars backing his candidacy.

The big picture: Whoever wins the May 26 runoff will face Democratic nominee James Talarico, a state legislator from Austin, who has led both Cornyn and Paxton in recent polling and holds a wide fundraising advantage.

• The Texas Senate race is rated “likely Republican” by Cook Political Report.

What they’re saying: “Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, calling him a “WINNER.”

• “John Cornyn is a good man, and I worked well with him, but he was not supportive of me when times were tough,” Trump added.

The other side: “I have worked closely with President Trump through both of his Presidential terms and voted with him more than 99% of the time,” Cornyn wrote Tuesday in a statement posted to X.

• “It is now time for Texas Republican voters to decide if they want a strong nominee to help our GOP candidates down ballot and defeat Talarico in November, or a weak nominee who jeopardizes everything.”

State of play: Talarico said in a statement Tuesday that “it doesn’t matter who wins this runoff.”

• “For decades, John Cornyn and Ken Paxton have embodied a broken politics that enriches wealthy donors while costs skyrocket for the rest of us. Our movement to take back Texas for working people rises above party politics.”

Zoom in: Trump said he’s endorsing Paxton in part because he supports eliminating the filibuster and passing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship when they register to vote.

• Cornyn “was very late in backing me in what turned out to be a Historic Run for the Republican Nomination, and then, the Presidency, itself,” Trump wrote.

Flashback: Cornyn received the most votes in the primary but did not get a majority. Polling has indicated a tight runoff race.

What’s next: Early voting for the runoff ends Friday. Election Day is May 26.

المصدر: Axios