Trump endorses Ken Paxton in Republican primary runoff
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said President Trump’s support “gives the Texas Senate race a little bit of momentum.”
Fox – 7 Austin
Texas’ attorney general is running in a high-profile Senate runoff election.
The national spotlight on Tuesday, May 26th will be on the runoff election between Ken Paxton and Sen. John Cornyn for the Republican nomination for the November Senate election. Paxton is a staunch ally of MAGA and received a surprise endorsement from President Donald Trump just days before the runoff elections. The runoff election was held because neither he nor Cornyn received more than 50% of the vote in the March primary.
Matthew Eshbaugh Soha, a political science professor at the University of North Texas, said that unlike Cornyn, who has expressed opposition to President Trump, Paxton represents a candidate who firmly supports the president’s policies.
“If you want a candidate who is uncompromisingly conservative, Paxton is the person for you,” Eshbaugh-Soha said.
Here’s what you need to know about Paxton and the runoff election scheduled for May 26th.
Who is Ken Paxton?
Ken Paxton, 63, served in the Texas House of Representatives in 2003 and 2013, then briefly served in the Texas Senate before being elected as the 51st attorney general of Texas in 2014, according to the attorney general’s web page. He has been re-elected twice and has led multiple efforts on topics including litigating Obamacare, arguing that it was unconstitutional, blocking the EPA’s “America’s Water” rule, and supporting immigration enforcement.
And now he’s looking for Cornyn’s job on Capitol Hill.
“It’s interesting that he held the same office as Cornyn before he ran for the U.S. Senate,” said Blake Farrar, an associate professor of political science at Texas State University. “Mr. Paxton is currently seeking to succeed his predecessor in the U.S. Senate Judiciary position.”
Paxton is seen as a viable opponent for Democrats. He was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives in 2023 on bribery charges, and was recently accused by his wife of extramarital affairs. But Mr. Trump’s endorsement of Mr. Cornyn risks upsetting his core base, and Mr. Paxton is widely seen as a candidate aligned with the president’s MAGA base.
“He is a popular figure among conservatives, but his career is fraught with ethical, moral and personal issues… which puts him at greater risk in the general election,” Eshbaugh-Soha said.
Runoff marks a turning point for the Republican Party
Tuesday’s Republican-on-Republican battle is the latest example of infighting in the party as President Trump seeks to maintain control as party leader. The president has indicated he is ready to replace his party’s detractors. Last week in Louisiana, incumbent Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy was defeated after President Trump urged his supporters to vote for him. And Rep. Thomas Massie lost the Kentucky Republican primary to a pro-Trump candidate because of his opposition to the White House.
“We’re starting to see across the country that President Trump’s support is key,” Eshbaugh-Sohha said.
Of course, Mr. Cornyn has been a U.S. senator since 2002, and Mr. Farah says it would be very difficult to outlast a sitting senator.
“If Paxton can win, it would be a huge signal that the ‘Trumpers’ are now in complete control of the Republican Party, while the old ‘Bush-era establishment’ crowd is on the sidelines,” he says.
Another concern is which candidate will appeal to Texas Republicans who supported Republican Wesley Hunt, who finished behind Paxton and Cornyn in the March primary with 13.5% of the vote. Those voters should also consider that whoever wins the nomination will be running against Democrat James Talarico, a moderate Presbyterian state representative with a growing national profile.
“Will they actively support a candidate with stronger conservative credentials, or will they vote strategically, thinking that Mr. Cornyn has a better chance of defeating Mr. Talarico in November because he has less personal and political baggage?” he says.
Contributor: Joey Garrison
