Texas GOP Senate Runoff Set as Cornyn and Paxton Stay in Race

Texas’ marquee Senate race is headed for a bruising runoff, with no sign of a truce between its top Republican contenders.

The deadline for candidates to withdraw from the GOP primary runoff ballot passed Tuesday without movement from Sen. John Cornyn or Attorney General Ken Paxton, cementing a May 26 showdown that’s expected to draw heavy spending and national attention. The Texas Tribune reported that the standoff comes despite calls from President Donald Trump and party leaders to avoid a prolonged intraparty fight.

Trump had pledged shortly after the March 3 primary to endorse one of the candidates “soon” and suggested the loser should step aside to unify Republicans ahead of the general election. Nearly two weeks later, that endorsement has yet to materialize, leaving both candidates in the race.

Cornyn entered the runoff with momentum after outperforming polls to finish first in the primary, bolstered by support from Senate leadership allies who view him as the safer general election bet, according to the outlet. Paxton, however, has refused to yield, instead escalating the contest around a flashpoint issue for the GOP base: election law.

The attorney general said he would consider dropping out only if Senate Republicans scrapped the filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act, a sweeping elections bill requiring proof of citizenship to register and stricter voter identification rules. The proposal has become central to the runoff narrative, even as its path forward in Washington remains slim.

Cornyn, long a defender of the filibuster, has shifted his stance amid the pressure, signaling openness to changes in order to advance the legislation, according to the publication. Still, Paxton has seized on the issue, arguing Cornyn hasn’t gone far enough to deliver.

The race has evolved from a conventional primary into a proxy battle over national GOP priorities, according to the outlet, as well as Trump’s influence. The president has indicated his eventual endorsement could hinge in part on the SAVE Act’s fate, further raising the stakes.

— Eric Weilbacher