On the second day of primary runoff early voting, President Donald Trump endorsed current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for the Texas Senate seat, alarming Republicans who worry Paxton's ungauranteed win could lose them the seat.
Despite pleas by GOP leaders in Congress to endorse incumbent John Cornyn – a proven winner in the state – Trump's endorsement puts Paxton in a good position to win the Republican primary in the state and face Democratic nominee James Talarico in the general election.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune spent months lobbying the president to back Cornyn. After the endorsement was announced last night, Thune vowed to "continue to be supportive of Senator Cornyn and his reelection."
Paxton's name has made headlines for years, with an ongoing divorce scandal, a federal securities fraud investigation, and dozens of controversial lawsuits as Attorney General.
Democrats see the Paxton endorsement as their first opportunity to flip the seat since 1988. His bipartisan unpopularity due to his personal and political controversies worries Republicans about his ability to defeat Talarico in November.
“How does that help strengthen the president’s hand? I mean, we lose a state like Texas?” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told Politico.
Talarico's broad appeal and rising gas prices nationwide give Democrats confidence in the upcoming election and the ability to flip Texas.
Paxton supported Trump's attempt to overturn the 2020 election results and was one of the first Republicans to support his second reelection bid.
"Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
As early voting continues this week, Republicans await the results of the Senate primary election to see who will face Talarico this fall.
