Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) formally threw his support behind Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Senate race in Texas, urging Republican voters to rally together.
Wesley, who was in the race but came in third place and did not advance to the May 26 runoff after the initial March 3 primary, offered his full endorsement on Tuesday after President Donald Trump backed Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).
“Today, President Donald Trump has made his position unmistakably clear in the Texas Senate race, he is fully backing Attorney General Ken Paxton, and SO AM I,” Hunt announced.
“I could not be more proud of the campaign we ran and the nearly 300,000 Texans who stood with our movement, our message, and our mission for the future of this great state,” he continued, asking his supporters to back Paxton in the highly anticipated runoff.
“To EVERY supporter who believed in what we fought for, I am now asking you to unite behind the next United States Senator from Texas, @KenPaxtonTX,” Hunt wrote. “He has the total and complete endorsement of President Donald Trump, and he has mine as well.”
Hunt added, “NOW is the time to come together, fight TOGETHER, and deliver a strong America First victory for Texas and for our nation.”
His call for his nearly 300,000 voters to back Paxton is particularly notable given the senseless attack both Wesley and his voters received on the night of the primary from the executive director of the Cornyn-Thune aligned group Senate Leadership Fund (SLF).
The head, Alex Latcham, viciously attacked Hunt on the night of the primary, turning off many voters whom Cornyn likely hoped to consolidate.
“Congratulations to Wesley Hunt on an abysmal third place finish in Texas’ Republican primary. Instead of fighting for President Trump and conservative priorities, Wesley launched a career-ending vanity tour without any substance or political reasoning,” he claimed in the statement, adding, “While Wesley’s amateur consultants got wealthy on his senseless campaign, Republican voters are now forced to endure an even longer primary runoff election.”
Further, Wesley’s endorsement coincided with President Trump’s, as the commander-in-chief teased the big backing Tuesday morning before making it official. He described Paxton as someone loyal to the MAGA movement and an individual who has been “tested at the highest and most difficult levels,” deeming him a “WINNER.”
Trump also highlighted Paxton’s support of the Save America Act as well as eliminating the filibuster. He continued:
Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate. He will tirelessly fight to continue the Great Growth of our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations (I just delivered the Largest Tax and Regulation Cuts in American History!), and Advance MADE IN THE U.S.A., Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Champion Texas Oil & Gas, Advocate for our Amazing Farmers and Ranchers, Promote School Choice, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Support our Incredible Military/Veterans, Safeguard our Elections, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment.
While Trump described Cornyn as a “good man,” he said the senator was not supportive of him “when times were tough.”
“John was very late in backing me in what turned out to be a Historic Run for the Republican Nomination, and then, the Presidency, itself, both of which were Landslide Victories and, more importantly, gave us the Country that we have today — THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA (and when we finish up with Iran, which will not be allowed to have a Nuclear Weapon, you will see numbers that have never been generated by our Country before!), as opposed to the DISASTER of the previous Administration,” Trump said, ultimately describing Paxton as a “fighter” who knows how to win.
A recent University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs survey found Paxton taking the edge over Cornyn in the runoff, seeing 48 percent support to the incumbent’s 45 percent among likely Republican runoff voters.
The winner of the May 26 runoff will face off with Texas State Rep. James Talarico (D) in the general election.
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