Summary
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Senator John Cornyn are in a close Republican runoff race to decide who will run for U.S. Senate in November against Democrat James Talarico. A recent poll shows both candidates nearly tied, with President Donald Trump expected to soon endorse one and influence the race.
Key Facts
- Neither Paxton nor Cornyn won a majority in the initial primary, so they face off in a runoff on May 26.
- A poll conducted from April 11 to 14 shows Cornyn leading Paxton by one percentage point (44% to 43%) among likely Republican voters.
- About 13% of voters in the poll are undecided.
- Cornyn leads by 10 points among Hispanic voters (47% vs. 37% for Paxton).
- Paxton’s favorability rating is 55%, while Cornyn’s is 47%.
- President Trump has not officially endorsed either candidate but said he will announce his endorsement soon and encouraged the other candidate to drop out.
- The winner of the runoff will face Democrat James Talarico in the November general election.
- The race is seen as important for controlling the U.S. Senate and reflects the Republican Party’s direction in Texas.
