Ken Paxton Floats Dropping Out of Texas Senate Runoff Over Trump Voter ID Bill
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says he might drop out of the Republican Senate runoff — but only if Senate Republicans pass a major voter-ID bill tied to Donald Trump’s agenda.
Paxton made the statement in a social media post criticizing incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, arguing the GOP should abolish the Senate filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register and photo ID to vote, according to The Texas Tribune.
The comment comes as President Donald Trump prepares to endorse a candidate in the May 26 runoff between Paxton and Cornyn. Trump said the Republican he does not endorse should withdraw “for the good of the Party,” a move that could reshape the race.
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Cornyn narrowly led Paxton in the primary, forcing the runoff after neither candidate reached 50 percent.
Republican leaders in Washington are reportedly pushing Trump to back Cornyn, warning Paxton’s controversies could hurt the party in the general election, according to Axios and other outlets.
Paxton had previously insisted he would stay in the race even if Trump endorsed Cornyn, making his latest statement the first time he has publicly raised the possibility of stepping aside.
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