Trump endorsement drives GOP voter support for Paxton in Texas runoff

DALLAS — Republican voters in the Dallas metropolitan area and its fast-growing suburbs have repeatedly cited President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Ken Paxton as they voiced support for the Texas attorney general in the GOP Senate runoff against Sen. John Cornyn.

The race is evolving as Texas continues to experience rapid population growth, especially in the suburbs surrounding Dallas where Republicans are competing to shape the future direction of the party.

“Ken Paxton. Take all three of us down to Paxton, one, two, three,” Carolyn Harvey of Celina, Texas, told Fox News Digital, pointing to her group.

“It will be good for Trump,” another voter said. “What’s good for Trump is good for us.”

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The comments underscore the central tension leading to Texas’ GOP Senate runoffs as Republicans weigh whether to remain loyal to Cornyn, a longtime Senate incumbent, or rally behind Paxton, whose close alliance with Trump has made him a favorite among MAGA voters eager to send a more combative conservative to Washington.

“Cornyn has had no trouble winning for years, but Trump’s support for Paxton is pretty strong,” said Frank Reeves of Dallas, a medical transport driver. “I’m pretty sure it will be Paxton in November, and as long as the conservatives win, I’m happy.”

Not every Republican voter interviewed by Fox News Digital said Trump’s endorsement alone would determine their vote. While some noted Cornyn’s experience in the Senate, others said they were still weighing Paxton’s legal disputes and concerns about the impeachment fight.

“I’m a little undecided. There was a lot of controversy in Paxton’s life,” one voter said, adding that he has been a conservative his entire life.

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Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas (left), faces Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the GOP primary runoff. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images; Antranik Tavitian/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Trump’s endorsement of Paxton earlier this year transformed the expected primary challenge into one of the most closely watched Senate battles of the GOP’s 2026 cycle.

The attorney general has spent years cultivating close ties with Trump and the MAGA movement; For his part, Cornyn — despite a reliable conservative voting record — has at times faced criticism from the party’s right wing for his bipartisan dealings in Washington.

Paxton cast Cornyn as the symbol of an old Republican establishment increasingly out of step with the GOP base, especially on immigration and spending.

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The longtime Texas senator sought to portray Paxton’s legal disputes as a liability for Republicans in the general election. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Cornyn, meanwhile, emphasized his support for Trump while arguing that Paxton’s legal disputes and impeachment fight could make him a risky general election candidate despite his appeal with MAGA voters.

Whether Cornyn’s long record in the Senate can overcome Trump’s support for Paxton may ultimately depend on suburban Republican voters rallying outside Dallas; Many of them say the president’s endorsement already has the race in mind.