President Donald Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn in their May 26, 2026 Republican primary runoff, defying advisers who urged support for Cornyn due to concerns about Paxton's legal baggage including a 2023 impeachment acquittal and resolved securities fraud case. The endorsement, announced one week before the election at a Paxton event in Allen, Texas, frames the contest as a loyalty test despite Cornyn's massive spending advantage of $87 million versus Paxton's $9.2 million. Republican Senate leaders including Tim Scott and Cynthia Lummis have warned that Paxton's nomination could jeopardize the traditionally safe Texas seat, forcing the party to spend heavily to defend it against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in November. Trump's intervention continues a pattern of successful primary challenges, having recently helped defeat Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky and five Indiana state senators who opposed his redistricting plan.
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