The day after John Cornyn and Ken Paxton were forced into a runoff for U.S. Senate, President Donald Trump indicated he planned to endorse in the race.
Now, with early voting less than two weeks away, Trump says that endorsement decision could come “relatively soon.”
Asked Thursday whether he still planned to endorse in the runoff between John Cornyn and Ken Paxton, Trump replied, “I’ll make a decision.”
When asked when that decision could come, Trump answered: “Maybe relatively soon. I like them both actually.”
Trump’s latest comments follow a Truth Social post he made the day after the March Republican primary, when he signaled that he intended to endorse in the runoff contest after declining to back a candidate during the initial primary campaign. At the time he said he would call on the other candidate to drop out of the race.
The president’s endorsement has loomed over the race for two months, with both campaigns seeking to position themselves as the candidate most aligned with Trump and positioned to win in November.
Cornyn and Paxton advanced to the runoff in March after neither candidate secured a majority in the Primary Election. Cornyn narrowly finished ahead of Paxton, while U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt placed third.
The runoff has become one of the nation’s most closely watched Republican contests. Cornyn has consolidated support from much of the Republican establishment, while Paxton has remained popular among grassroots conservatives.
The effect of Trump’s endorsement on the runoff electorate, however, remains to be seen.
Early voting runs May 18-22. Election day is May 26.
