Ted Cruz stays impartial in Texas Senate runoff between Cornyn and Paxton

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Republican Sen. Ted Cruz is staying impartial within the flamable GOP Senate nomination showdown in Texas between longtime Sen. John Cornyn and state Legal professional Basic Ken Paxton.

"I like John. I like Ken. They're each buddies of mine. I've supported each of them previously. I've labored intently with each of them. I've endorsed each of them. I've campaigned with each of them, and so I am staying out," the conservative firebrand three-term senator mentioned in a Fox Information Digital interview on Wednesday.

The winner of the Might 26 Republican runoff election will face off with Democratic nominee state Rep. James Talarico on this autumn's common election in a race that is amongst a handful which can resolve if the GOP retains its Senate majority within the midterms. The GOP at present controls the chamber, 53–47.

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Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, left, is dealing with off in opposition to Texas Legal professional Basic Ken Paxton in a bitter GOP major runoff election. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Pictures; Antranik Tavitian/Bloomberg by way of Getty Pictures)

Cornyn edged Paxton by a degree within the March 3 major, as they had been the highest two contenders amongst a crowded area of Republican candidates. However since neither of the heated rivals cracked the 50% threshold to win the nomination, the race headed into extra time.

Whereas a few of Cruz's high outsider political advisers are supporting Paxton, the senator is declining to take sides.

"I belief the voters of Texas to make this determination," the senator mentioned.

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Talarico, who is taken into account a Democratic Celebration rising star, topped progressive firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a vocal Trump critic, of their celebration's major. Talarico is attempting to change into the primary Democrat in almost 4 many years to win a Senate election in right-leaning Texas .

<source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/03/672/378/james-talarico-primary-night-in-austin-texas-march-3-2026.jpeg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/03/1344/756/james-talarico-primary-night-in-austin-texas-march-3-2026.jpeg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/03/931/523/james-talarico-primary-night-in-austin-texas-march-3-2026.jpeg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/03/1862/1046/james-talarico-primary-night-in-austin-texas-march-3-2026.jpeg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"> Democratic Senate candidate state Rep. James Talarico speaks to supporters on major evening, in Austin, Texas, on March 3, 2026. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox Information)

The Cornyn marketing campaign and aligned tremendous PACs have spent huge bucks to run advertisements attacking Paxton, arguing that Democrats will flip the seat within the common election if Paxton's the GOP's nominee.

Cornyn, his allies, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the marketing campaign arm of the Senate GOP, repeatedly pointed to the slew of scandals and authorized issues which have battered Paxton over the previous decade, in addition to his ongoing messy divorce.

Paxton, a longtime supporter and ally of President Donald Trump and a MAGA firebrand who grabbed important nationwide consideration by submitting lawsuits in opposition to the Obama and Biden administrations, has pushed again by repeatedly questioning Cornyn's conservative credentials and previous assist for Trump.

<source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/03/931/523/ken-paxton-primary-night-dallas-texas-march-3-2026.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/03/1862/1046/ken-paxton-primary-night-dallas-texas-march-3-2026.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"> Texas Legal professional Basic Ken Paxton, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, speaks throughout a major election evening watch celebration Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Dallas. (Julio Cortez/AP Photograph)

The president, whose sway in Republican nomination battles stays immense, stayed impartial in the course of the major marketing campaign.

Hours after Cornyn and Paxton superior to the runoff, Trump took to social media to announce, "I will probably be making my Endorsement quickly."

Trump added that Trump added that he would "be asking the candidate that I don’t Endorse to instantly DROP OUT OF THE RACE!"

All indicators on the time pointed to Trump backing Cornyn.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, speaks to the media on major evening, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (Jack Myer/AP Photograph)

However greater than three weeks since his social media publish, Trump nonetheless stays impartial. And that has the MAGA devoted, lots of whom are backing Paxton, hopeful that the president will keep out of the race, which might be a significant victory for the Texas lawyer common.

Paxton traveled to the president's Mar-a-Lago residence final weekend for a Palm Seaside County GOP dinner, the place he briefly met with President Trump, two sources with data of the encounter confirmed to Fox Information Digital. One of many sources known as it a ‘test in’ between Trump and Paxton. The information was first reported by Politico.

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There's been a dearth of public opinion polling within the runoff, however the two surveys which were launched recommend Paxton holds a single-digit lead.

The race between Cornyn and Paxton is considered by many Republicans as a battle between MAGA world and the grassroots versus the celebration institution for the soul of the GOP.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based mostly within the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the marketing campaign path from coast to coast."