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DALLAS – Across the Dallas metroplex and fast-growing areas, Republican voters called for President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Ken Paxton when he expressed their support for the Texas attorney general in the GOP Senate against Sen. John Cornyn.
The race is on as Texas continues to experience rapid population growth, especially in areas around Dallas, where Republicans are competing to shape the party’s future direction.
“Ken Paxton. Put us three, one, two, three down on Paxton,” Carolyn Harvey of Celina, Texas, told Fox News Digital, pointing to her team.
“He’ll be good for Trump,” chimed in another voter. “And what’s good for Trump is good for us.”
TRUMP FLEXES MAGA MUSCLE IN TEXAS SENATE RUNOFF BETWEEN CORNYN AND PAXTON
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is leaning heavily on President Donald Trump’s support in his Senate campaign against Sen. John Cornyn. (Elias Valverde II/The Dallas Morning News/Getty Images)
These comments underscore the tension in the Texas GOP Senate, as Republicans weigh whether to stay with Cornyn, who has been in the Senate for a long time, or the convention after Paxton, whose closeness to Trump has made him a favorite among MAGA voters eager to send a candidate to Washington.
“Cornyn hasn’t had trouble winning over the years, but Trump’s support for Paxton is strong,” said Frank Reeves of Dallas, a medical transport driver. “I’m sure it will be Paxton in November, and as long as the conservative wins, I’m happy.”
Not all Republican voters interviewed by Fox News Digital said Trump’s approval rating alone would determine their vote. Some point to what happened to Cornyn in the Senate, while others say they are still considering concerns about Paxton’s legal disputes and impeachment battle.
“I’m a little sad. Paxton has had a lot of controversy in his life,” said one voter, adding that he has been a conservative his whole life.
TRUMP RETURNS MAGA ALLY PAXTON TO TEXAS WITH CORNYN
The incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, left, faces Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the GOP primary. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images; Antranik Tavitian/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Trump’s endorsement of Paxton earlier this year turned what had been an expected primary challenge into one of the GOP’s most watched Senate races of the 2026 cycle.
The attorney general has spent years cultivating a close relationship with Trump and the MAGA movement, and Cornyn — despite a reliable voting record — has sometimes faced criticism from the party’s right about bipartisanship in Washington.
Paxton played Cornyn as a symbol of the old Republican establishment that is increasingly out of step with the GOP base, especially on immigration and spending.
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The long-time Texas senator wants to portray Paxton’s legal battles as a case against Republicans in the general election. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Cornyn, meanwhile, reiterated his support for Trump while saying Paxton’s legal battles and impeachment battle could make him a threat in the general election despite his appeal with MAGA voters.
Whether Cornyn’s long Senate record can overcome Trump’s support for Paxton may ultimately depend on urban Republican voters like those gathered outside Dallas, many of whom said the president’s endorsement had already settled the race in their minds.
