Trump Reaffirms Paxton Backing in Texas Runoff, Calls Cornyn "VERY disloyal" 1 Day Before Vote
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · May 25
Trump Reaffirms Paxton Backing in Texas Runoff, Calls Cornyn "VERY disloyal" 1 Day Before Vote
15 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · May 25
Trump sharpened the Texas GOP Senate runoff in a Sunday post, renewing his endorsement of Ken Paxton and branding Sen. John Cornyn “VERY disloyal” on the eve of Tuesday’s vote.
That intervention landed after early voting had already begun and as the race’s final stretch moved almost entirely to television and digital ads, with total spending topping $109 million.
Cornyn’s campaign and allied groups have outspent Paxton’s side by nearly 9-to-1 over the past year, though the gap narrowed to less than 2-to-1 in the final week.
Cornyn responded by stressing that 99.3% of his Senate votes aligned with Trump, while still arguing Paxton’s ethics and personal controversies could endanger a normally safe Republican seat in November.
The runoff has become another test of Trump’s grip on GOP primaries, after Republican voters in states including Indiana and Kentucky recently backed challengers over incumbents seen as crossing him.
How will the record $109M ad spend influence tomorrow's low-turnout Texas Senate runoff?
After a campaign fought through ads, what challenges will the winner face in the November election?
What does this record-spending race signal about the future of campaign strategy and finance?