Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) is backing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the closely watched Republican Senate runoff in Texas, adding another endorsement to Paxton’s campaign as the contest against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) intensifies ahead of the May election.
Crane announced his support for Paxton in a post on X while sharing the attorney general’s latest campaign advertisement targeting Cornyn’s past criticism of President Donald Trump.
“I’m proud to endorse @KenPaxtonTX.
If we’re ever going to change the way Congress works, we need to elect stronger leaders.
The status quo has FAILED.”
Paxton responded to Crane’s endorsement with a post of his own, writing:
“Eli Crane is one of the best. An absolute warrior in Washington.
I’m grateful for his endorsement and look forward to working with him in Washington to shake things up.”
Paxton and Cornyn prepare for a May 26 runoff after neither candidate secured a majority in the Republican primary earlier this month. With about 65.8 percent of the vote counted, Cornyn led with 42.5 percent while Paxton followed closely with 40.8 percent. Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX), whom Crane backed during the primary, finished a distant third with roughly 13 percent of the vote and will be out of office upon the completion of his current House term.
The endorsement comes as Paxton’s campaign has sought to highlight contrasts with Cornyn through a new digital advertisement focusing on the senator’s past comments about President Donald Trump. In a statement accompanying the ad, Paxton remarked. “John Cornyn has spent years trying to destroy President Trump and undermine the America First movement. Time after time, when President Trump was under attack, John Cornyn joined in with the Swamp to try and tear him down.”
The two-minute video compiles clips of Cornyn discussing Trump and investigations into him. In one segment highlighted in the ad, Cornyn says, “I think President Trump’s time has passed him by,” while another clip shows him stating after the January 6, 2021 protests that “President Trump fed that fantasy by repeatedly claiming the election was stolen,” and adding separately that the president’s actions were “reckless.”
Other footage included in the ad shows Cornyn discussing probes into Trump and officials connected to him. In one clip, Cornyn says, “It is our responsibility to get to the bottom of what exactly happened due to Russian involvement in our elections,” while another shows him saying of inquiries into ties between Trump’s campaign and Russia, “It is a legitimate area of inquiry.” The advertisement contrasts those remarks with Paxton’s support for Trump, which he referenced in his statement saying he had been “fighting the stolen 2020 election” and supporting Trump’s 2024 campaign “on Day 1.”
The Senate primary has also drawn attention because Trump has not yet issued an endorsement. According to reports citing individuals close to the White House, Trump has been holding off on endorsing either candidate while pressing lawmakers to pass the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. Trump had previously indicated he would eventually endorse one of the candidates and ask the other to withdraw.
Momentum behind Paxton has also been reflected in several endorsements. Earlier in the campaign, Turning Point Action — the political arm of the conservative youth organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk — endorsed Paxton ahead of the Republican primary. Responding to the endorsement, Paxton wrote on X, “BREAKING: I’m honored to be endorsed by Turning Point Action. The movement that Charlie Kirk built has inspired millions, and I’m proud to be standing alongside Turning Point Action in carrying on the fight to save this country and defend our freedoms.”
Paxton has also secured support from conservative elected officials in Texas. State Rep. Steve Toth, who recently defeated Rep. Dan Crenshaw in a Republican primary for Crenshaw’s House seat, endorsed Paxton and pointed to his record as attorney general. “During my time in the Texas Legislature, I have come to know Ken Paxton on both a professional and personal level,” Toth told Breitbart News. “As our Attorney General, Ken has been a staunch defender of conservative values and constitutional rights.”
Toth also referenced Paxton’s actions during the Biden administration years, saying he frequently served as a key legal backstop for the state. “Ken often served as the last line of defense for Texans during the Biden Administration years, securing major wins for border security, blocking COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and protecting our children. Ken Paxton is battle-tested.”
He added that Paxton stands out among elected officials for following through on conservative priorities. “Some politicians talk tough during election years and then fail to protect our values or deliver for their constituents. Ken Paxton is one of the rare few who follows through.”
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