President Donald Trump said on March 4 that he will “soon” endorse a candidate in the Texas Republican Senate runoff between Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, signaling that he wants the contest wrapped up quickly so the party can focus on the general election.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that the primary “cannot, for the good of the party, and [the] country itself, be allowed to go on any longer” and “must stop now.” He said Republicans must turn their attention to Democratic nominee Texas state Rep. James Talarico, whom he described as a “radical left opponent” and work to defeat him “quickly and decisively.”
The Epoch Times has reached out to the Talarico campaign for comment.
Trump also said that his endorsements are “virtually insurmountable” and that whoever he supports “wins by a lot, especially in Texas.” The president also said that he would ask the candidate he does not endorse to drop out of the race.
Trump has praised both GOP contenders, although he declined to endorse either ahead of the primary. He said he would eventually make an endorsement.
“They’re both friends of mine. I like them both,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on April 26, 2025. “In a way, I wish they weren’t running against each other. But I like Paxton, I like Cornyn. They’re both good people, so I’ll make a decision somewhere, but two very good men.”
The Cornyn campaign declined to comment. The Epoch Times has reached out to Paxton’s campaign for comment.
With neither candidate receiving more than 50 percent of the vote, the race is headed to a May 26 runoff. As of publication time, Cornyn led with 41.9 percent to Paxton’s 40.7 percent. The Associated Press projected a runoff at approximately 10:50 p.m. ET on March 3, with about 60 percent of the vote counted.
Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) finished third with 12.9 percent of the vote, eliminating him from contention. Five other candidates split the remaining votes.
Speaking at an election night event in Dallas, Paxton drew parallels to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who finished second in the 2012 GOP Senate primary before winning a runoff against then-Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.
“The same thing is going to happen here,” Paxton said.
Cruz has declined to endorse either candidate in the current race.
Cornyn, meanwhile, sharply criticized Paxton on election night, saying that he would be “a dead weight at the top of the ticket for Republicans” if nominated.
Cornyn has represented Texas in the Senate since 2002. Paxton has served as the state’s attorney general since 2015.
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