Trump delivers 11th-hour endorsement to Paxton in Texas Senate runoff
Source: Axios · Bias: Center Left
Summary
President Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Texas Republican Senate runoff on Tuesday, a day after the start of early voting.Why it matters: Senate Republicans spent months pleading with Trump to endorse incumbent Sen. John Cornyn over Paxton.Trump had posted that an endorsement was coming after the March 3 primary and said whoever didn't get his endorsement should drop out. That endorsement didn't materialize at the time. But the president faced significant pushback from MAGA allies at the idea of a Cornyn endorsement.Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and leadership-allied super PACs spent tens of millions backing Cornyn. Flashback: Cornyn received the most votes in the primary but did not get a majority. Polling has indicated a tight runoff race.The big picture: Whoever wins the May 26 runoff will face Democratic nominee James Talarico, who has led both Cornyn and Paxton in recent polling and holds a wide fundraising advantage.The Texas Senate race is rated "likely Republican" by Cook Political Report.What's next: Early voting ends Friday. Election Day is May 26.
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