GOP leaders want Trump to endorse Cornyn in Texas Senate primary amid fears of costly fight
This is performative politics again.
A group of Republicans on Capitol Hill is urging President Donald Trump to intervene in Texas’s increasingly bitter three-way Senate primary, warning that the intraparty clash could spiral into being the GOP’s most expensive race of the 2026 cycle.
The concern centers on Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-TX) bruising contest against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX), a race widely expected to head to a runoff. Party officials fear that if Cornyn falls and Paxton becomes the nominee, Republicans could be forced to spend at least $200 million to defend a seat they once treated as safely red.
That financial alarm has triggered a coordinated push by establishment Republicans to elevate the stakes around the race, both publicly and in private appeals to Trump.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), who has endorsed Cornyn, framed the Texas contest as critical to the party’s national strategy.
“Senator John Cornyn is a very effective conservative senator for the state of Texas,” Thune said, speaking to reporters at a news conference on Tuesday. “We think that John Cornyn not only deserves to be reelected, but also ensures that Texas stays in the Republican column when it comes to the United States Senate, and frankly helps down-ballot races in the House of Representatives as well.”
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, walks to the House Chamber before President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has also sounded alarm bells. Internal polling released by the committee shows Paxton trailing Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in a hypothetical general election matchup while Cornyn leads. In a memo accompanying the data, the NRSC warned that “Texas cannot be taken for granted” and argued that its polling shows “only one candidate meets that threshold: John Cornyn.”
A GOP member of Congress, who has been given anonymity to reflect candidly, said Republicans view the risk as serious enough to justify Trump stepping in.
“I’m very concerned that we don’t win in Texas if Paxton is our candidate,” the lawmaker said. “Polls I see suggest the one person who absolutely wins in Texas is John Cornyn.”
At the same time, the lawmaker acknowledged Trump’s refusal to endorse has already reshaped the race.
“I can just tell you the president not endorsing Paxton was a massive win for John Cornyn,” the member said. …
This is performative politics again.
A group of Republicans on Capitol Hill is urging President Donald Trump to intervene in Texas’s increasingly bitter three-way Senate primary, warning that the intraparty clash could spiral into being the GOP’s most expensive race of the 2026 cycle.
The concern centers on Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-TX) bruising contest against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX), a race widely expected to head to a runoff. Party officials fear that if Cornyn falls and Paxton becomes the nominee, Republicans could be forced to spend at least $200 million to defend a seat they once treated as safely red.
That financial alarm has triggered a coordinated push by establishment Republicans to elevate the stakes around the race, both publicly and in private appeals to Trump.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), who has endorsed Cornyn, framed the Texas contest as critical to the party’s national strategy.
“Senator John Cornyn is a very effective conservative senator for the state of Texas,” Thune said, speaking to reporters at a news conference on Tuesday. “We think that John Cornyn not only deserves to be reelected, but also ensures that Texas stays in the Republican column when it comes to the United States Senate, and frankly helps down-ballot races in the House of Representatives as well.”
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, walks to the House Chamber before President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has also sounded alarm bells. Internal polling released by the committee shows Paxton trailing Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in a hypothetical general election matchup while Cornyn leads. In a memo accompanying the data, the NRSC warned that “Texas cannot be taken for granted” and argued that its polling shows “only one candidate meets that threshold: John Cornyn.”
A GOP member of Congress, who has been given anonymity to reflect candidly, said Republicans view the risk as serious enough to justify Trump stepping in.
“I’m very concerned that we don’t win in Texas if Paxton is our candidate,” the lawmaker said. “Polls I see suggest the one person who absolutely wins in Texas is John Cornyn.”
At the same time, the lawmaker acknowledged Trump’s refusal to endorse has already reshaped the race.
“I can just tell you the president not endorsing Paxton was a massive win for John Cornyn,” the member said. …
GOP leaders want Trump to endorse Cornyn in Texas Senate primary amid fears of costly fight
This is performative politics again.
A group of Republicans on Capitol Hill is urging President Donald Trump to intervene in Texas’s increasingly bitter three-way Senate primary, warning that the intraparty clash could spiral into being the GOP’s most expensive race of the 2026 cycle.
The concern centers on Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-TX) bruising contest against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX), a race widely expected to head to a runoff. Party officials fear that if Cornyn falls and Paxton becomes the nominee, Republicans could be forced to spend at least $200 million to defend a seat they once treated as safely red.
That financial alarm has triggered a coordinated push by establishment Republicans to elevate the stakes around the race, both publicly and in private appeals to Trump.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), who has endorsed Cornyn, framed the Texas contest as critical to the party’s national strategy.
“Senator John Cornyn is a very effective conservative senator for the state of Texas,” Thune said, speaking to reporters at a news conference on Tuesday. “We think that John Cornyn not only deserves to be reelected, but also ensures that Texas stays in the Republican column when it comes to the United States Senate, and frankly helps down-ballot races in the House of Representatives as well.”
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, walks to the House Chamber before President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has also sounded alarm bells. Internal polling released by the committee shows Paxton trailing Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in a hypothetical general election matchup while Cornyn leads. In a memo accompanying the data, the NRSC warned that “Texas cannot be taken for granted” and argued that its polling shows “only one candidate meets that threshold: John Cornyn.”
A GOP member of Congress, who has been given anonymity to reflect candidly, said Republicans view the risk as serious enough to justify Trump stepping in.
“I’m very concerned that we don’t win in Texas if Paxton is our candidate,” the lawmaker said. “Polls I see suggest the one person who absolutely wins in Texas is John Cornyn.”
At the same time, the lawmaker acknowledged Trump’s refusal to endorse has already reshaped the race.
“I can just tell you the president not endorsing Paxton was a massive win for John Cornyn,” the member said. …
