Republican strategists are focusing on upcoming primaries in Texas, California, and Maine as they prepare for November midterm elections. In Texas, President Donald Trump endorsed attorney general Ken Paxton over incumbent John Cornyn in a Senate primary runoff scheduled for May 26. The endorsement came one week before the vote and surprised some White House aides. Trump said he backed Paxton because he “has gone through a lot.” Paxton’s record includes impeachment in 2023, a 2024 plea deal with restitution to avoid a felony securities fraud trial, and a 2025 adultery accusation followed by a divorce filing. He also faced a federal grand jury investigation into alleged misuse of office that ended without charges. Concerns include whether Paxton’s MAGA framing and personal and legal history could make him less appealing to general-election voters, potentially energizing Democrats and improving their chances.
"President Donald Trump made a last-minute endorsement on Tuesday in the Senate primary runoff in Texas, throwing his support behind attorney general Ken Paxton over incumbent John Cornyn. Trump's political strategists are already getting ready for any fallout. The primary is on May 26 and the president's decision to make an endorsement just a week beforehand caught some of his own aides by surprise, sources familiar with the dynamics inside the White House told WIRED. But on Truth Social, Trump said he was backing Paxton because the candidate has "gone through a lot.""
"Indeed Paxton has. In 2023, he faced impeachment charges; he took a plea deal in 2024 and paid roughly $300,000 in restitution-without admitting guilt-to avoid a felony securities fraud trial. And in 2025, he was accused of adultery by his wife, who filed for divorce on "biblical grounds." He also faced a yearslong federal grand jury investigation into his alleged misuse of office, which the DOJ closed without charges in the last weeks of Joe Biden's presidency."
"Paxton's baggage means that should he defeat Cornyn, as many in Washington now expect following Trump's endorsement, it will come with consequences for Republicans later in the midterms, and for the White House as it deals with Congress. Chief among the concerns is whether Paxton's history and his framing as the MAGA candidate might be too objectionable to voters in the general election in November, making Democrats more energized because they see Paxton as easier to beat than Cornyn."
Read at WIRED
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