President Donald Trump has made a point to endorse almost every Texas Republican incumbent, while leaving out arguably the most detrimental, longtime Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).
The president’s endorsement often goes a long way in red states and districts, especially during non-presidential years when Trump, a turnout machine, will not appear on the ballot.
Many voters will be watching to see if Trump’s endorsement proves successful as the president enters the second year of his second term. With Texas holding the first primaries of the election year, all eyes will be on the Lone Star State.
This comes as Texas is shaping up to have one of the most competitive and expensive Senate races across the nation in 2026. The race is a crowded one after Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) jumped in the race to challenge Cornyn for his seat next year, after the longtime Texas senator lost his race to become the next Senate majority leader after Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced he was stepping down.
Cornyn, who has served in the Senate since 2002, promised a “spirited campaign” early on and has remained optimistic about an endorsement.
“Sen. Cornyn has voted with President Trump 99.3% of the time he’s been in office,” Cornyn Campaign Senior Advisor Matt Mackowiak told the Washington Examiner. “He’s proud to have voted for every one of his nominees, and played a key role as Senate Majority Whip to pass the Trump tax cuts and his other legislative priorities.
“If John Cornyn is the GOP nominee, Texas comes off the map for Senate Democrats and Republicans can focus on states like Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Iowa, and New Hampshire to grow the Senate majority,” Mackowiak continued.
A source familiar with Texas GOP campaigns told the Washington Examiner that they do not expect the president to weigh in on the primary, citing Trump’s legacy when selecting winning candidates.
“John Cornyn has repeatedly claimed that President Trump would weigh in on this race on his behalf, saying an endorsement was imminent, and that it would come ‘any day now,’” Hunt told the Washington Examiner. “Yet no endorsement has materialized. It’s not hard to see why. According to President Trump’s own pollster, John Cornyn is in last place, and the president isn’t in the business of backing candidates who have no path to victory.”
A poll from Trump’s 2024 pollster, John McLaughlin, shows Cornyn in third place at 27%, with Hunt just barely leading him at 28%, and Paxton at 33%.
Trump’s endorsement could be crucial to pushing Cornyn over the finish line in a race that appears headed for a runoff, as each of the three campaigns continues to tout different polling that leans in their favor. A pro-Cornyn group released polling earlier this month showing the incumbent having a two-point lead over Paxton.
While both Hunt and Cornyn make the case against Paxton and each other, Texas will remain center stage heading into 2026, even as the GOP has a handful of other seats to protect.
Republicans have to protect both the seat in Maine and North Carolina against tough races, as they also fight to flip Sen. Jon Ossoff’s (D-GA) seat. Trump has yet to endorse in any of these three big races.
Cornyn is not the only sitting member in Texas that Trump has yet to endorse. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) is the lone Texas House incumbent who has not secured an endorsement from the powerful president.
The president has endorsed House candidates who are not currently in office, including retiring incumbent Rep. Troy Nehls’s identical twin brother and congressional candidate, Trevor Nehls, to take over his House seat.
“In Congress, Trever will work hard to Keep our now very Secure Border, SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Advance American Energy DOMINANCE, Champion Election Integrity, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump wrote on TruthSocial.
Another big endorsement came for Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) earlier this month, who is also facing a tough primary challenge.
All of the president’s House endorsements come after the Lone Star State successfully passed the Trump-backed redistricting effort aiming to pick up five congressional seats in the state to keep the GOP’s razor-thin majority.
Trump endorsed Eric Flores over former Rep. Mayra Flores to run against Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) in a swing seat carried by Trump in 2024.
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“President Trump is exactly right: as an Army veteran and former criminal prosecutor, Eric Flores is ready to fight to flip this seat red next November,” National Republican Congressional Committee Spokesman Reilly Richardson wrote in a statement. “Flores will help Republicans deliver secure borders, energy dominance, and a strong economy for South Texans. ”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the White House for comment.
