President Donald Trump has endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican Senate runoff against incumbent Senator John Cornyn ahead of the May 26 election. The endorsement, posted on Truth Social, described Paxton as a 'true MAGA Warrior' who has always delivered for Texas.
Key Takeaways
President Donald Trump has endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican Senate runoff against incumbent Senator John Cornyn ahead of the May 26 election. Early voting began Monday, with polls showing a tight race between Paxton and Cornyn.
- President Trump endorses Ken Paxton for Texas Senate seat
- Tight race between Paxton and Cornyn in GOP runoff
- Democrats see opening with James Talarico as nominee
- Polls show both Republican candidates statistically tied against Democrat Talarico
The race is seen as a critical test of Trump's influence over Republican voters and the strength of the Senate GOP establishment. Early voting began Monday and continues through Friday, with polls showing a tight race between Paxton and Cornyn according to multiple reports. According to The Guardian, Trump noted that while Cornyn is a 'good man,' he was not supportive during difficult times.
Paxton thanked Trump for his support at an Allen rally where supporters celebrated by performing the 'Trump dance'. Paxton stated that Trump's endorsement is significant and creates momentum. Cornyn responded in Lubbock saying he would not give up the fight and emphasized that voters choose senators, according to CBS News.
Democrats hope that the divisive primary will provide an opening for their nominee, James Talarico, who has raised substantial funds and posted strong polling numbers against both Republican candidates. The runoff election is seen as a critical test of Trump's influence over Republican voters and the strength of the Senate GOP establishment according to CBS News.
The race has been described as a 'battle for the soul of the Texas Republican Party.' As part of his closing argument, Cornyn emphasized that he’s voted with Trump “more than 99% of the time” per HuffPost. He also warned that Paxton's nomination could put the Senate seat at risk by making him an albatross around the neck of their candidates and likely losing to Talarico.
Paxton has questioned Cornyn's support for Trump, stating that Cornyn changed his tune during the past year. Various independent polls show Paxton leading Cornyn heading into the runoff by more than three percentage points according to CBS News. Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico issued a statement saying it doesn't matter who he runs against as both candidates represent broken politics.
New polling indicated that Paxton and Cornyn perform statistically identically when facing off against Talarico, per Salon. A recent Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center and Texas Southern University poll found that in a matchup against Talarico, Cornyn would lead him 45% to 44%, and Paxton would be tied, with both at 45%. Both results are well within the poll’s plus or minus 2.8% margin of error.
Polling from the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston also found that Republican primary voters see both candidates as equally strong for the general election context. When asked which candidate they believed was a stronger candidate for the general election, 43% said Paxton and 43% said Cornyn, with another 14% saying neither one was stronger than the other.
President Trump expressed confidence that his endorsed candidate, Ken Paxton, will defeat Democrat James Talarico in the upcoming Senate race. Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One on Wednesday morning, Trump referred to Talarico as 'unelectable' due to his vegan lifestyle and controversial statements about gender and religion.
Trump predicted that Paxton would win substantially against Cornyn in the primary runoff and go on to defeat Talarico in the general election. He criticized Talarico for believing in six genders, making remarks against Jesus Christ, and wearing a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump also highlighted Talarico's veganism as an electoral liability in Texas.
Talarico has faced backlash from conservatives for his past statements on gender identity and climate change. In a 2022 speech, he advocated for reducing meat consumption to combat climate change and announced that his campaign had become non-meat. This stance drew criticism from Republicans, including Senator Ted Cruz who labeled Talarico a 'freak' who wants to 'ban BBQ'.
In response to Trump's criticisms, Talarico's campaign spokesperson emphasized the candidate's focus on addressing rising costs and political corruption. The campaign also released a photo of Talarico eating a turkey leg to counter accusations of veganism.
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