Trump Endorses Paxton in Texas Primary Runoff

President Trump is no longer sticking to the sidelines in the Texas Senate Republican primary runoff between Attorney General Ken Paxton and incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.

Trump endorsed Paxton on Tuesday, calling him a “MAGA Warrior” on social media, the Texas Tribune reported. He first teased an endorsement, saying one candidate should drop out, after neither secured the majority of votes in the March 3 primary; Cornyn secured 42 percent of the vote, compared to Paxton’s 40.5 percent.

Paxton offered to drop under the condition that Senate GOP leaders abolish the filibuster and pass the Trump-backed Save America Act, the divisive proposed legislation that would require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship when they register to vote. That didn’t happen, and Paxton refused to drop out otherwise, prompting Trump to say, “maybe that leads me to go in the other direction.”

Since March, MAGA leaders have called on Trump to endorse Paxton, framing the race as a “a battle for MAGA’s soul,” Politico reported Steve Bannon saying.

Paxton is the favorite of North Texas developer duo Centurion American founder Mehrdad Moayedi and “King of Dirt” Rex Glendenning. The land broker and developer have turned thousands of acres of North Texas prairieland into master-planned communities stretching up to Oklahoma.

Moayedi and Glendenning gave Paxton several gifts of $7,000 apiece, The Real Deal’s analysis of campaign finance data found in February. Paxton also has the support of Phillip Huffines, twin brother of comptroller candidate Don Huffines, who gave over $20,000.

Meanwhile, Cornyn has courted the support of real estate titans like David Weekley Homes co-founder Richard Weekly, Trammell Crow’s daughter Lucy Billingsley and Hillwood Development Chairman Ross Perot Jr.

The race has also drawn donations from around the country, which overwhelmingly backed Cornyn. Floridian donors include Toll Brothers co-founder and Mar-a-Lago member Bruce Toll and Wynn Resorts founder and Palm Beach resident Steve Wynn.

The battle between Paxton and Cornyn has gotten expensive, and ugly. Cornyn’s jabs at Paxton over his alleged infidelity necessitated the intervention of Paxton’s daughter. Cornyn’s most recent attack ad uses AI to show Paxton in a car with his alleged mistresses. Spending on the campaign topped $110 million. As AG, Paxton is no stranger to real estate issues, most recently making it his mission to block the development of The Meadow, a Muslim-centric master-planned community slated for Josephine.