Trump Backs Paxton in May 26 Texas Runoff as GOP Warns $100 Million Fight Could Follow
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 19
Trump Backs Paxton in May 26 Texas Runoff as GOP Warns $100 Million Fight Could Follow
40 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 19
A week before Texas’s May 26 runoff, Trump endorsed Attorney General Ken Paxton over Senator John Cornyn, handing Paxton a major late boost in one of the cycle’s most watched Senate primaries.
Trump’s move defied Senate Republican leaders, who had urged him to back Cornyn and argue Paxton’s scandals could make a normally safe Texas seat competitive in November.
Republican senators reacted with alarm: Lisa Murkowski said the endorsement put the seat “in jeopardy,” while John Thune said he would keep supporting Cornyn despite Trump’s decision.
The endorsement fits Trump’s broader push to tighten control over GOP primaries, as he also escalated attacks on Representative Thomas Massie in Kentucky and has recently helped unseat other Republican dissenters.
Tuesday’s primaries across six states, including Georgia, Kentucky and Pennsylvania, are now serving as another test of how much Trump’s backing still shapes Republican nominations despite his weakening national approval.
Beyond endorsements, how might the Attorney General's controversial plea deal record sway runoff voters next week?
How will record-breaking primary spending affect the nominee's general election fight against a well-funded opponent?