What Happened
President Donald Trump’s refusal to endorse a candidate in the three-way Texas GOP Senate primary has upended what was expected to be a straightforward reelection for Sen. John Cornyn, creating one of the most consequential intra-party battles of the 2026 cycle. Roll Call’s Lack of Trump endorsement rocks GOP Senate primary in Texas details how the absence of a Trump endorsement in the Texas Senate race 2026 has scrambled the dynamics among Cornyn, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Rep. Wesley Hunt — all of whom are competing for the MAGA base ahead of the March 3 primary.
Trump told reporters he supports "all three" candidates and hasn’t "made a decision yet," while calling Cornyn a "good man" and expressing fondness for Paxton and Hunt as well. That neutrality, in a party where Trump’s word is often decisive in primaries, has left the race wide open.
Recap: How the Texas Republican Primary Candidates Got Here
The state of play
The fight for John Cornyn’s Senate seat has been building for months. Cornyn, a three-term incumbent and former Senate Republican whip, is facing the most serious primary challenge of his career. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton — who was acquitted by the Texas Senate in his 2023 impeachment trial and was reportedly considered by Trump for U.S. Attorney General — has been leading or running neck-and-neck with Cornyn in multiple polls. A co/efficient survey from early December showed Cornyn at 28 percent, Paxton at 27 percent, and Hunt at 19 percent. As early voting began on February 18, Paxton appeared to hold a narrow edge.
Rep. Wesley Hunt, a West Point graduate and former Apache helicopter pilot, has positioned himself as a generational change candidate. In remarks reported by KSAT San Antonio, Hunt took a direct shot at the incumbent: "Isn’t it time we had leaders who don’t treat the United States Senate like a retirement community, but who actually have to live with the consequences of their votes?"
Hunt has received Trump endorsements in past elections and campaigned for Trump during all three of his presidential bids. His pitch to primary voters: he carries stronger MAGA appeal than Cornyn without Paxton’s political baggage in a general election.
The Trump endorsement Texas Senate candidates are chasing
Trump’s decision to stay on the sidelines is the single biggest variable in the race. In past Republican primaries, a Trump endorsement has been a near-determinative factor. His statement — "Those are the toughest races. They’ve all supported me, they’re all good — and… But I support all three" — has forced each campaign to argue they are the most aligned with the president without being able to claim his explicit backing.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has filled part of the vacuum, publicly endorsing Cornyn. "I’m supporting and have endorsed and am doing everything I can to help Sen. John Cornyn," Thune told reporters at a Capitol news conference. He added: "We think that John Cornyn not only deserves to be reelected but also ensures that Texas stays in [the] Republican column when it comes to the United States Senate."
Cornyn’s electability argument
Cornyn has leaned hard into an electability frame, warning that a Paxton nomination could hand Democrats their first statewide win since 1994. At a Fort Worth Police Association event, as reported by NBC News, Cornyn said: "If Ken Paxton is the nominee, we could well experience a massacre, and the first Democrat elected since 1994 in the state of Texas."
That’s because Paxton carries the baggage of scandals. In 2023, the Texas House impeached Paxton on 16 articles, accusing him of abusing his office, bribery, and obstruction of justice related to his relationship with Nate Paul, a donor. In July 2025, his wife, Senator Angela Paxton, filed for divorce, citing adultery.
Sen Cornyn tied the argument directly to Trump’s agenda, noting that Paxton’s nomination could threaten newly drawn red congressional districts that are critical to the GOP’s slim House majority — districts Cornyn said are "important to President Trump, because he talks about it all the time."
Cornyn has also emphasized his voting record, claiming "more than 99.2 percent" alignment with Trump — higher, he noted, than Sen. Ted Cruz.
The Paxton camp has pushed back. Nick Maddux, an advisor for Paxton, told Fox News that Paxton won his 2022 election "by double digits" and predicted "the same thing is going to happen in 2026, because Republican voters are fired up to go to the polls and support him."
Hill & Administration Take
On the Hill
Senate Republican leadership has rallied behind Cornyn. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has backed his candidacy, and according to Bloomberg, the NRSC has internally warned that the Texas primary "makes holding the Senate majority more expensive" and could "cost Republicans control of the Senate."
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who chairs the Lone Star Freedom Project, told the Texas Tribune the group would spend "whatever we need" to help Cornyn, on top of the nearly $18 million it had already spent on his behalf.
In the current Congress, Cornyn has continued sponsoring legislation on issues central to the primary debate. He introduced the ICE Protection Act of 2026 in January and the Stop Illegal Aliens Drunk Driving Act, both aimed at reinforcing his border security credentials. He also introduced a broadband infrastructure bill in February and a bill to amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964. All remain in introduced status.
From the administration
Trump has made no formal endorsement and his comments have come exclusively through remarks to reporters. He was reportedly scheduled to visit Texas as the primary approached, fueling speculation about a potential last-minute endorsement, but no formal backing had materialized as of publication.
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