Four-term Texas Senator John Cornyn faces Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday in the GOP Senate runoff, with President 
Donald Trump's last-minute endorsement of Paxton turning the race into the highest-stakes test yet of his grip over the party. The contest is the ugliest primary election of the cycle and the latest in a string of Trump-endorsed challenges to incumbents, the Guardian reported.
What is at stake? Cornyn is in the fight of his political life as he looks to defy the odds and survive the runoff against Paxton, The Hill reported, with the seat sitting on a clear path to face Democrat James Talarico in November regardless of who wins. Paxton, branded a "True MAGA warrior" by his own campaign, carries the scandal baggage of his Texas tenure into a state where Trump's endorsement has historically been decisive in low-turnout primaries, the Guardian reported.
How is Trump campaigning for Paxton? In a Sunday Truth Social post, Trump told Texas voters that "Ken Paxton was a GREAT Attorney General, probably the best in the Country" and that he "WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN," The Hill reported. The endorsement followed Trump's primary victories elsewhere this cycle, including Rep. Thomas Massie's defeat in Kentucky by a Trump-backed challenger last week.
Who in the GOP is pushing back? Sen. Thom Tillis told NBC's Jake Tapper that Paxton "is a failure" and "doesn't deserve to be in the U.S. Senate," The Hill reported. Cornyn himself declined to commit on Sunday to backing Paxton if Paxton wins the runoff — a notable break from the standard "support the nominee" pledge — though he has said in the past he would support the Republican ticket.
Figures referenced: Donald Trump. — JudgeMarket.
