DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (AP) — With Donald Trump’s endorsement now in hand, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is expressing confidence as his Republican primary runoff against Sen. John Cornyn approaches its final stretch.
“I don’t know if y’all noticed this, but Donald Trump endorsed me,” Paxton declared to an enthusiastic crowd at a small gathering in a community near Austin, drawing cheers and applause from supporters.
The Tuesday contest has captured nationwide interest and attracted substantial financial investment. The race represents another opportunity for Trump to push out an incumbent politician who has frustrated him — Cornyn in this instance — while promoting a candidate who better reflects the president’s priorities. This strategy has proven effective for Trump in recent cycles. Just this week, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie was defeated in his Kentucky primary by Ed Gallrein, Trump’s chosen candidate. Similar victories have occurred in Louisiana and Indiana.
Demonstrating his optimism about Tuesday’s outcome, Paxton has begun targeting the Democratic candidate, state Rep. James Talarico. His Thursday event opened with criticism of Talarico, signaling confidence in advancing to the general election.
During his remarks, Paxton outlined his political background and emphasized his central campaign message: his extensive record of filing lawsuits in defense of conservative principles throughout his tenure. This track record resonates strongly with supporters of the Make America Great Again movement, according to those in attendance.
“He’s a fighter, he’s a person of action, he’s proven that as attorney general,” said Jeffrey Sonnier, 72, who attended the rally and reflected sentiments expressed by many supporters present.
Regarding Cornyn, Sonnier observed, “he’s inactive for five years and digs out to become a supposed active Republican MAGA person every six years.”
Following Trump’s Tuesday endorsement, Paxton’s campaign announced it would cease running attack advertisements against Cornyn. Instead, both his campaign and a supporting super PAC have launched new commercials highlighting Trump’s support.
Meanwhile, Cornyn’s campaign and allied groups maintain a three-to-one spending advantage over pro-Paxton organizations. They have resumed broadcasting an advertisement from last year that emphasizes Cornyn’s alignment with Trump’s agenda and includes footage of Trump speaking favorably about Cornyn.
“He’s called me a friend, and that’s no surprise because I’ve supported him and his policies, you may have seen a commercial or two to that effect, 99.3% of the time,” said Cornyn in a video posted to X from a recent event.
Cornyn has consistently attempted to redirect the campaign conversation away from presidential loyalty toward questions of personal integrity.
His campaign has emphasized messaging about Paxton’s controversial history, including allegations of an extramarital affair and impeachment proceedings for corruption, though Paxton was ultimately cleared of those charges.
Should Paxton secure the nomination, these issues will become central in a general election matchup against Talarico, where voters will be less “willing to overlook all the corruption, the self-dealing and the scandals,” Cornyn contended at a recent campaign stop. “Ken Paxton would hand it to (Democrats) on a silver platter.”
Attendees at Paxton’s Thursday rally dismissed these concerns.
“He’s had his flaws, but so have we; we all make mistakes,” said Daniel Vega, 18, adding, “He’s repented, let’s move on.”
According to advertising tracking firm AdImpact, Cornyn’s campaign and supporting groups will have invested approximately $90 million in advertisements through this week, including over $20 million since the March 3 primary election.
In comparison, Paxton’s campaign and its single super PAC have spent roughly $10.5 million on advertising, with about $6.1 million invested since the March 3 primary.
The advertising blitz has saturated the airwaves for voters.
“The commercials are leading me against Paxton, that he might be a little crooked,” said Gail Licea, 74, a retired registered nurse, who attended a Cornyn event before Trump’s endorsement. However, she added, “I’ve been led to believe that sometimes John Cornyn doesn’t back President Donald Trump, and that concerns me.”
Given the intensity of the advertising campaign, the impact of the recent strategic shift by various groups on Tuesday’s results remains uncertain, according to Wayne Hamilton, former executive director of the Texas Republican Party.
“There is so much noise out there right now,” said Hamilton, who advises Gov. Greg Abbott and has no affiliation with either Senate candidate. “I don’t know how any one message is going to break through.”
