Ken Paxton Opens 96% Lead in Texas Runoff After Trump Endorsement

10 articles · Updated · ms.now · May 25

Kalshi and Polymarket now show Ken Paxton as the overwhelming favorite in Tuesday’s Texas GOP Senate runoff, with Paxton near 90% on Kalshi and 96% on Polymarket against incumbent John Cornyn.
Trump’s May 19 endorsement appears to have broken the race open: Kalshi had Paxton at 63.7% on May 18, then at 90.1% by the next morning, while runoff polling also showed him pulling away.
The winner will face Democrat James Talarico in November, but Senate Republicans fear Paxton could be a risk in the general election because of his felony securities-fraud indictment, impeachment and other controversies.
Cornyn kept campaigning Sunday with outside endorsements and turnout appeals, even as Trump praised Paxton as a “true MAGA Warrior” and faulted Cornyn for not being supportive when “times were tough.”

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