HOUSTON — President Donald Trump has announced his endorsement in Texas’ closely watched Republican U.S. Senate runoff, throwing his support behind Ken Paxton Tuesday morning.
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Trump endorsed Paxton in a lengthy social media post, calling the Texas attorney general an “America First Patriot” and a “true MAGA Warrior.” The president praised Paxton’s support for conservative priorities, including eliminating the filibuster and passing the SAVE America Act, while contrasting him with incumbent Senator John Cornyn.
“Ken Paxton has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next United States Senator from the Great State of Texas,” Trump wrote on social media.
The endorsement lands just before the May 26 runoff election between Cornyn and Paxton.
The Republican primary headed to a runoff after neither Cornyn nor Paxton secured a majority during the initial vote. U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt also ran in the primary but finished third and conceded.
Political observers have predicted the runoff would become one of the most expensive and aggressive Republican contests in Texas in years.
“It’s going to get ugly and it’s going to drag down whichever nominee ends up being the winner,” KHOU 11 Political analyst Brendan Rottinghaus said.
Both Cornyn and Paxton have spent months highlighting their ties to Trump while trying to appeal to Republican voters across Texas.
Cornyn, who is seeking a fifth term in the U.S. Senate, recently introduced legislation that would designate U.S. Highway 287 as “Interstate 47,” or “Trump Interstate.”
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“Texas is Trump Country, and this bill cements that legacy by designating nearly 1,800 miles of open road from Texas’ Gulf Coast to the edge of the U.S.-Canadian border as I-47 to forever be remembered as Trump Interstate,” Cornyn said.
The proposed interstate would stretch from Port Arthur, Texas, to Choteau, Montana.
Cornyn’s office said the legislation would help advance freight movement, promote economic growth, improve safety, reduce congestion and increase federal matching funds for interstate projects.
The proposal came as Cornyn continued trying to close the gap in polling against Paxton.
According to a recent University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs poll, Paxton led the Republican Senate race with 48% support compared to 45% for Cornyn. Another 7% of voters surveyed said they remained undecided.
The survey, conducted between April 28 and May 1, included 1,200 likely voters and carried a margin of error of plus or minus 2.83 percentage points.
Paxton has remained popular with many Texas Republicans and has gained national attention for filing lawsuits against Democratic initiatives. He was also acquitted during a 2023 impeachment trial on corruption charges.
Earlier in the race, Paxton said he would consider dropping out under certain conditions, including if Senate Republicans agreed to drop the filibuster and pass the SAVE America Act, which would add stricter proof-of-citizenship requirements for voting.
The Republican nominee will advance to the November general election.