Trump Backs ‘All Three’ Republicans In Texas Senate Primary As Early Voting Begins

As early voting begins Tuesday in Texas’s heated Republican Senate primary, President Donald Trump said he supports all three GOP candidates in the race, declining to pick a favorite.

On Air Force One on Monday night, Trump was asked whether he would back Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the three-way race that also includes Rep. Wesley Hunt.

“I just haven’t made a decision on that race yet. It’s got a ways to go, and I haven’t. [Cornyn’s] a good man. John is a good — I like all three of them, actually,” he said. “They’ve all supported me. They’re all good and you’re supposed to pick one. So, we’ll see what happens. But I support all three.”

The Republican nominee, to be decided in the March 3 primary, will face either Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) or state Sen. James Talarico in the general election. If no candidate tops 50% of the vote, the race heads to a May 26 runoff between the top two finishers.

All three campaigns welcomed Trump’s remarks.

Cornyn’s campaign touted his loyalty to Trump, noting he has voted with the president “99.3% of the time while in office” and arguing that he would keep Texas safely in Republican hands. Senior adviser Matt Mackowiak told The Daily Wire that nominating Paxton would require massive spending and hurt Republicans down-ballot.

A Paxton spokesperson did not respond in time for publication, though the attorney general has frequently emphasized his support for Trump. He was recently endorsed by Turning Point Action, while Cornyn is backed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee. On Tuesday, Paxton urged voters to “fire John Cornyn” as early voting began.

Hunt, meanwhile, said Trump’s endorsement “isn’t given, it’s earned,” arguing his campaign “has the momentum” and is “surging in the polls” ahead of March 3.

This is not the first time Trump has endorsed multiple candidates in a primary. Last April, he backed both Karrin Taylor Robson and Rep. Andy Biggs in Arizona’s gubernatorial primary, though Robson later dropped out. In 2022, he simply endorsed “ERIC” in Missouri’s Senate primary between Eric Schmitt and Eric Greitens, with Schmitt ultimately winning the seat.

The Cook Political Report ranks the Texas race as “Likely Republican.” Republicans are in a tight battle to maintain a 53-47 Senate majority, with four races listed as “toss-ups.”

Trump has also weighed in on other key GOP primaries, recently backing Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA) in her bid to unseat incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), as well as backing former Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) over former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown in a competitive New Hampshire contest.