At once floundering in his re-election bid, Senator John Cornyn (R) continues to rack up support in his primary race against Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) by adding 15 GOP endorsements.
In a news release, Senator Cornyn's campaign announced that he had scored 15 endorsements from GOP members who had worked with Senator Cornyn and President Donald Trump (R) to advance the president's agenda during his first run in the White House.
In a statement, Senator Cornyn expressed gratitude for the support.
"I have been privileged to serve with many talented, intelligent, committed conservatives who have fought with me to represent Texas values and pass conservative reforms in Washington," Senator Cornyn said in the news release.
Reps. Bill Archer, Henry Bonilla, Kevin Brady, Michael Burgess, Francisco Canseco, Mike Conaway, John Culberson, Tom DeLay, Bill Flores, Jeb Hensarling, Kenny Marchant, Pete Olson, Ted Poe, Lamar Smith, Mac Thornberry, have all endorsed Senator Cornyn.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has aggressively campaigned on behalf of Senator Cornyn, warning against Republicans supporting Attorney General Paxton and even Rep. Wesley Hunt (R), who has not formally announced a senate run.
Senator Ted Cruz (R) has declined to endorse either candidate, and President Trump has also not endorsed a candidate in the race thus far.
Despite the recent wave of endorsements, Attorney General Paxton still leads in the polls. However, in the general election, the attorney general proves to be a more vulnerable candidate than Senator Cornyn.
In a recent memo from GOP firm Deep Roots Analysis, Attorney General Paxton's candidacy could affect Republicans' chances at several seats in the upcoming election. Specifically, he would attract weaker support from Independent, suburban, and female voters.
"This dynamic could limit opportunities for GOP pickups while also endangering seats previously considered safe," the memo warns.
The Democratic primary will see former Rep. Colin Allred (D) and state Rep. James Talarico (D) fighting for the nomination.
