Since Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) announced his Senate bid, he’s received a swath of support in his attempt to unseat Texas Senator John Cornyn (R). The Senate race could become one of the most closely watched Republicans primaries of the 2026 election cycle. As endorsements for the Senate race pour in, President Donald Trump (R) has announced that his endorsement will come “at the right time.”
In an interview with The Hill, President Trump was asked about the upcoming primary race. “They’re both friends of mine. They’re both good men,” President Trump commented. “And I don’t know. We don’t know who else is running, but these two – Ken, John, they’re both friends of mine. So I’ll make a determination at the right time.”
Both candidates have highlighted their political alignment with President Trump since announcing their candidacies. Senator Cornyn’s announcement advertisement directly tied the incumbent senator to the successes of President Trump’s first term, which is a claim that Attorney General Paxton has disputed.
Since announcing his candidacy, Attorney General Paxton has received endorsements from Texas Rep. Lance Gooden (R) and Texas Rep. Troy Nehls (R), two Trump-aligned lawmakers who’ve made it clear that Senator Cornyn must go.
Most recently, former Texas GOP Chair Matt Rinaldi (R) weighed in on the upcoming Senate race, sharing that his support is entirely behind Attorney General Paxton.
BREAKING: Former Texas GOP Chair @MattRinaldiTX endorses @KenPaxtonTX for Senate pic.twitter.com/FM3b6ejDTd
— Brandon Waltens (@bwaltens) April 12, 2025
"It's gonna be a fight. It's gonna be a hard fought battle, and it's gonna be one of the most interesting races we've had in politics in a while," he said during an interview with CBS News Texas. Commenting that Attorney General Paxton represents the "Trump-wing of the Republican Party" and that Senator Cornyn represents the "Mitch McConnell-wing of the Republican Party," he opined that "if history's been any guide, I think the Trump-wing of the party is gonna come out victorious."
