Republican Party Intra‑Party Politics

In the bruising, high‑spending Texas GOP contest that sent Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton to a May 26 runoff, national Republican groups have rallied behind Cornyn amid warnings a nasty primary could drain resources and strengthen Democrat James Talarico. President Trump is expected to endorse Cornyn and urged the loser to drop out, but Paxton says he will stay in the race even if Trump backs his rival, sharply criticizing Cornyn’s record.