Donald Trump is backing Ken Paxton, who was impeached over bribery and abuse of office allegations, against incumbent John Cornyn. Some voters are calling both men crooks, and Democrats think Paxton’s baggage could finally open the door to a statewide Texas win for them after decades of losses.
Trump endorses Ken Paxton in Senate GOP runoff
The development, coming partway through early voting, is a searing blow for John Cornyn, who finished first in the March runoff but was unable to convince Trump to endorse him.
United States Senate election in Texas, 2026 (May 26 Republican primary runoff)
Incumbent John Cornyn (R) and Ken Paxton (R) are running in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate in Texas on May 26, 2026. Cornyn and Paxton were the top two finishers in the March 3 primary. The race advanced to a runoff because neither received more than 50% of the vote. Cornyn led Paxton 42.0%–40.5% in the March 3 primary.
Axios’ Nicole Cobler said the runoff “extends one of the most consequential primaries in the country and sets up a bruising fight for the GOP Senate nomination.”[1] CNN’s David Wright said “[m]any national Republicans and allies of Thune believe Cornyn is their safest bet on retaining the Senate seat in reliably red Texas. But Paxton, the three-term state attorney general, has a record of backing Trump – notably on his debunked claims of election fraud that preceded January 6 – and strong ties to the state Republican grassroots.”[2]
Writing in Politico, Liz Crampton said the primary results “showed some surprising strength for Cornyn, who had trailed Paxton in most public polls and whose allies were worried might finish far behind the MAGA firebrand…[indicating] the four-term senator still has a real chance to retain his seat in late May.”[3] Punchbowl News wrote that “the runoff dynamics favor Paxton. The electorate in a runoff is smaller and much more conservative. It’s the hard-core activist types who show up to vote the day after Memorial Day.”[4]
On May 19, 2026, President Donald Trump (R) endorsed Paxton. In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote: “Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate. John Cornyn is a good man, and I worked well with him, but he was not supportive of me when times were tough.”[5]