The deadline for Republican candidates to remove their name from the primary runoff ballot quietly passed at 5 p.m. Tuesday without any movement from Sen. John Cornyn or Attorney General Ken Paxton, sending Texas’ GOP Senate primary barreling toward another period of expensive intraparty warfare.
The day after the March 3 primary, when Cornyn overperformed most polls to finish first ahead of Paxton, President Donald Trump pledged to endorse one of the candidates “soon,” saying the party should unify to focus on fighting the Democratic nominee, Austin state Rep. James Talarico. And Trump issued a warning as well, saying he would ask his non-endorsed candidate to drop out.
Nearly two weeks have elapsed without a Trump endorsement. And with the 5 p.m. deadline to withdraw one’s name from the Texas runoff ballot now passed, the May 26 ballot is assured to contain both candidates’ names.
