President Trump met with Senate Majority Chief John Thune (R-S.D.) on Wednesday night to speak about Senate races, together with Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-Texas) fraught primary towards Texas Legal professional Common Ken Paxton (R), based on a supply acquainted with the matter.
Senate Management Fund officers had been additionally current on the assembly. The supply stated the assembly was broadly about Senate races, and Cornyn’s race got here up.
Paxton and Cornyn are each Trump allies, and the president has not endorsed within the major.
The assembly comes as polls show Paxton leading Cornyn forward of the February major.
The first could possibly be of high concern to Republicans as a result of different polls present Democrats inside placing distance of Paxton in a normal election. A ballot launched by Texas Southern College final month confirmed Cornyn main Senate candidate and former Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) by 4 factors and Paxton main Allred by 2. A separate ballot launched by the Senate Management Fund, which is supporting Cornyn, confirmed Cornyn main Allred by 6 factors, whereas Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) led Allred by 4 and Paxton trailed him by 1.
Cornyn’s allies imagine a Trump endorsement would assist Cornyn shut the hole with Paxton, and would alleviate any normal election considerations.
The dynamic has made Democrats notably optimistic within the pink state forward of 2026. The Texas Majority PAC and the Texas Democratic Get together launched an eight-figure marketing campaign dubbed “Blue Texas” final week geared toward electing Democrats up and down the poll within the Lone Star State subsequent yr.