Texas AG Paxton Offers to Quit Senate Race for Trump Election Bill

AUSTIN, TX — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Thursday he would consider dropping out of his U.S. Senate runoff race against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn if Senate leaders lift the filibuster and pass a Trump-backed election bill he called the chamber's most important ever. 

Paxton, a Republican who advanced to the May 26 runoff after finishing second to Cornyn in Tuesday's GOP primary, praised the SAVE America Act as essential for President Donald Trump's agenda. 

The legislation, which passed the House last month, would require in-person proof of U.S. citizenship — such as a passport or birth certificate — to register for federal elections. Republicans say the bill strengthens election integrity by ensuring only citizens vote, while opponents argue it creates barriers that could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters without easy access to such documents. 

"I would consider dropping out of this race if Senate Leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and passes the SAVE America Act," Paxton wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that had garnered more than 800,000 views by midday. He called Cornyn a "coward" for refusing to support abolishing the filibuster to advance the measure and accused "Fake News reporters and the establishment" of spreading misinformation about him. 

Paxton also touted his loyalty to Trump, citing his efforts to challenge the 2020 election results, his presence at Mar-a-Lago for Trump's 2024 campaign announcement, and his support during Trump's New York legal battles. "No one has been more loyal to Donald Trump than me," he wrote. 

The post came two days after Texas's primary, where Cornyn received about 43% of the vote and Paxton 41% in a field that included U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, forcing the runoff under state rules requiring a majority. Paxton, a staunch Trump ally who has faced his own legal challenges, including a 2023 impeachment acquittal on corruption charges, launched his Senate bid last year to unseat Cornyn, a longtime Washington fixture seeking a fifth term.