President Trump’s late entry into the Texas Senate fight by endorsing Attorney General Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn jolted Senate Republicans and shifted the conversation from routine Senate business to a high-stakes intraparty showdown. The move exposed a split in the conference about electability and strategy, with some worried the choice could hand an opening to Democrats and others arguing Paxton is the stronger conservative pick. With a competitive Democrat looming in the general, the endorsement set the stage for an intense runoff and a test of Republican unity in a must-hold state.
The endorsement arrived just as senators were headed into their closed weekly lunch, and the mood in the room changed fast. Conversations about immigration funding and the week’s legislative plan gave way to whispered questions about the political cost of the endorsement. Many in the room went from talkative to focused, trying to parse how Trump’s move would affect the fall map.
Trump picked Paxton over longtime Sen. John Cornyn, and that choice left a chunk of the conference visibly unsettled. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said that she was “supremely disappointed” by the move. “I think that this puts that seat in jeopardy,” Murkowski said. “Based on the numbers that I’ve seen, yeah,” she said. “How does that help strengthen the president’s hand when we lose a state like Texas?”
On the other side, Republicans point out history and context: Texas hasn’t sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1988, and Paxton has won statewide races before. The primary winner will face state Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat who defeated a high-profile progressive in his primary and has drawn major endorsements. That reality fuels the argument that nominating a strong conservative matters more than settling intra-party scores.
Still, a number of Republicans continued to back Cornyn as the safer, tested option. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said, “I do believe we are going to pull Texas, but I think John Cornyn was the safest bet,” highlighting party worries about delivering down-ballot GOP success. Cornyn has repeatedly raised concerns about Paxton’s record and the baggage attached to him, pointing to past scandals that opponents say could become a liability in November.
Cornyn urged Texas Republicans to weigh who can best protect the seat and the party’s broader chances. “It is now time for Texas Republican voters to decide if they want a strong nominee to help our GOP candidates down-ballot and defeat Talarico in November, or a weak nominee who jeopardizes everything we care about. I trust the Republican voters of Texas,” Cornyn said. Paxton’s team was quick to answer, with campaign strategist Nick Maddux insisting Paxton is a proven winner and attacking Cornyn’s record. “This is the only talking point the Cornyn campaign has because, after 42 years of accomplishing nothing, Cornyn has no record to run on,” Maddux said. “The bottom line is that Ken Paxton will be the Republican nominee for this fall, and we are ready to unite the party.”
The rush of endorsements and counterattacks has left some senators frustrated by the timing and implications. Some pointed to recent upsets in other GOP primaries and warned that a messy primary could hand an advantage to Democrats. “I thought Ken Paxton was a felon,” Cassidy told reporters, a blunt comment that underlines how raw feelings are running inside the conference.
At the same time, leaders who wanted Cornyn to prevail emphasized that the president’s endorsement is his decision to make. “Senator Cornyn is a principled conservative,” Thune said. “He is a very effective senator for the state of Texas. None of us control what the president does. He made his decision about that. That doesn’t change the way I feel, and I am certainly supportive of and will continue to be supportive of Senator Cornyn in his re-election.” With Election Day now here and the runoff settled into voters’ hands, Republicans are left to manage the fallout and push toward unity while preparing for a competitive general election.
