As former President Donald Trump considers which candidate to support in Texas’s upcoming Senate runoff, multiple Republican officials in the Lone Star State are cautioning him against backing the incumbent.
The May 26 runoff pits four-term Senator John Cornyn against state Attorney General Ken Paxton, after neither secured enough votes in the March 3 primary to avoid a second round of voting. Trump announced on March 4 that he planned to endorse one of the candidates and later suggested to Politico that he was favoring Cornyn, though no official endorsement has materialized.
Houston-area legislator Tom Oliverson, who chairs the Republican caucus in the Texas House, warned that supporting Cornyn could backfire with Trump’s most loyal followers. “Some of his hardest and most ardent supporters will see this as a slap in the face,” Oliverson stated.
State Representative Steve Toth from The Woodlands, who recently unseated incumbent Rep. Dan Crenshaw, expressed similar concerns about a potential Cornyn endorsement. “What the president doesn’t understand here in Texas is the amount of frustration that Texas voters have with John Cornyn,” Toth explained.
While acknowledging Trump’s continued popularity in Texas, Toth added: “I don’t think it’s a mistake that’s going to hurt him. But do I think it’s a mistake for him to possibly endorse John Cornyn? Yes, I do.”
However, Cornyn maintains support among some legislative allies. Fort Worth Representative Charlie Geren offered a harsh assessment of the race, stating: “I’m hoping that the president will look at all the facts and support an honorable senator who has represented Texas very well, as opposed to a crook and a liar.”
In an apparent effort to curry favor with Trump, Cornyn shifted his stance on Senate procedures this week regarding the SAVE America Act, legislation requiring citizenship verification for voter registration that Trump has identified as his top priority. Writing in a New York Post opinion piece, Cornyn declared: “I support whatever changes to Senate rules that may prove necessary” to advance the bill “through the Senate and on the president’s desk for his signature.”
Paxton had already attempted to demonstrate his commitment to Trump’s agenda by stating nearly a week earlier that he would consider withdrawing from the race if the Senate approved the citizenship verification measure. The legislation currently lacks sufficient support to overcome a filibuster, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune opposes changing procedural rules.
The campaign has turned increasingly negative, with Cornyn’s team launching a $330,000 television advertisement that references allegations of marital infidelity against Paxton. The ad features religious imagery and a narrator declaring “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” alluding to accusations made by Paxton’s own wife.
Cornyn, who won his seat in 2002 during George W. Bush’s presidential tenure, has had a complicated relationship with Trump. In 2023, he suggested that Trump’s “time has passed,” and previously criticized Trump’s border wall proposal as “naive.” He also supported gun control measures following the 2022 Uvalde school shooting.
Representative Matt Shaheen of Plano argued that Cornyn’s broader appeal makes him more electable against Democratic nominee James Talarico. “John Cornyn is the only person who can beat James Talarico,” Shaheen said. “And I believe the president understands that.”
State Representative Wesley Virdell from Brady, a prominent gun rights advocate, expressed concern about Trump’s potential decision. “I have concern that he may be getting bad advice from certain officials,” Virdell said. “I hope he will take other conservative members’ opinions into consideration, because I think it’s going to look really bad for President Trump if he endorses him.”
Despite his gesture regarding Trump’s legislative priorities, Paxton shows no indication of leaving the race. He is scheduled to address the Conservative Political Action Committee conference when it convenes in Dallas.
Representative Shelley Luther from rural Grayson County predicted disappointment among her constituents if Trump supports Cornyn. “They’d be like, ‘He’s out of touch with what Texans want,’” she explained.
