Support from Trump will encourage both candidates to run. Paxton is currently leading Cornyn by 11 percentage points in polls.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has said he will support the candidate in the 2026 US Senate election in Texas.
During the flight on the presidential aircraft, Air Force 1 told reporters in the White House press pool for the funeral of the late Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church to the provinces of Italy and Vatican City that he liked both Cornin and Paxton and lamented their rivalry for the Republican nomination.
“They are both friends of mine. I like both,” Trump said. “In a way, I wish they hadn’t run to each other. PaxtonI like Cornyn. They are both good people, so I make a decision somewhere, but two very good men. ”
Paxton has been the statewide attorney general of Texas since 2015, and has been elected three terms in that role. In 2023 he was appointed and appointed by the Texas House of Representatives, by a large margin of a Republican-led agency, due to various allegations of serious conduct related to the use of his office for personal favors. He was later acquitted in a trial by the Texas Senate.
Related Stories
Both Paxton and Cornyn were long-standing figures in Texas politics. Paxton served in both houses of the state legislature for 12 years, with Cornyn ahead of Paxton as Attorney General from 1999 to 2002. Apart from Paxton and Cornyn, only Rennie Mann, president of the local school board in central Texas, participated in the race.
The support of both candidates comes from well-known figures. Cornyn was approved by several Senate Republican colleagues, including Senate Majority Leader John Tune (Rs.D.), who defeated Cornyn in the conference’s leadership election at the end of 2024.
Paxton, meanwhile, has been approved by Lance Gooden and Troy Nairs (R-Texas), as well as former Texas GOP president Matt Rinaldi. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) refused to support him in the race.
Paxton and Cornyn campaigns did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
