Washington, May 19, 2026, 13:02 EDT
- President Donald Trump threw his support behind Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, backing him over Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican runoff set for May 26.
- Early voting is already in progress, putting fresh pressure on a bruising Texas primary and sharpening the test of Trump’s grip on the GOP.
- Republicans are staring down a scenario they’ve seen before—a nominee the base rallies behind, while some party insiders worry he might not hold up in November.
President Donald Trump threw his support behind Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday, backing the staunch conservative in the Republican runoff for U.S. Senate and passing over four-term incumbent John Cornyn. The move comes just a week ahead of the vote.
The endorsement takes on new weight, with early voting already underway and the May 26 runoff set to determine who’ll go up against Democrat James Talarico in November. No one secured a majority in the first round, triggering this runoff—a follow-up vote to settle the race.
Trump’s endorsement shakes up the race for Paxton, injecting energy into a contest that’s exposed fault lines between the MAGA crowd and Senate leadership, who had thrown their weight behind Cornyn as a safer choice for November. AP said Paxton backers in Allen, Texas erupted into cheers and broke out dancing as soon as the news hit.
Trump labeled Paxton a “true MAGA Warrior” and described Cornyn as a “good man,” though, according to reports from Truth Social, he noted Cornyn hadn’t backed him when it counted. Paxton responded on X, saying he was honored and pledged to push Trump’s “America First” agenda in the Senate. Houston Chronicle
Neither Cornyn nor Paxton managed to clinch more than half the vote in the March primary, forcing a runoff. Cornyn ended up ahead at roughly 42%, just edging out Paxton’s 40.5%. U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt landed in third place—his supporters now represent a critical target for both sides.
The contest was neck and neck. According to a University of Houston Hobby School poll conducted from April 28 to May 1, Paxton led with 48%, Cornyn close behind at 45%, both numbers well within the survey’s 2.83-point margin of error. “The candidate who is able to turn out his voters will determine the winner,” noted Renée Cross of the Hobby School. University of Houston
Republicans could be looking at a pricier, shakier hold on a typically safe Texas seat if Paxton grabs the nomination. Cook Political Report would bump the contest to Lean Republican—still in the GOP’s column, but by less than usual.
That worry has shaped Cornyn’s final pitch. At an event on Monday, Cornyn argued that Paxton would “hand it to them on a silver platter”—meaning Democrats—and cautioned that Paxton’s legal and personal troubles would resurface if he made it to the general election. Houston Chronicle
Paxton weathered a 2023 impeachment by the Texas House, then secured acquittal in the state Senate, wrapped up a securities fraud case in 2024, and went through a public divorce. Backers insist those battles only boosted his standing with conservative voters instead of costing him support.
Top Senate Republicans pushed Trump to endorse Cornyn, according to the Houston Chronicle. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Majority Whip John Barrasso both encouraged Trump to get behind the incumbent. Barrasso argued Republicans had to pick a nominee with a real shot in November.
Talarico, who serves in the state legislature and is a Presbyterian seminarian, is watching to see who emerges victorious. For Democrats, the drought continues—no statewide wins in Texas since 1994. Still, if Paxton secures the nomination, Democrats could press a more pointed case on electability in a cycle that puts the Senate majority up for grabs.
