Ken Paxton didn't need Trump's endorsement to beat Cornyn, Texas voters say

PLANO, Texas – Supporters at Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s election night watch party in Plano said Tuesday they were firmly behind the Republican Senate candidate long before President Donald Trump endorsed him.

Inside a Marriott hotel ballroom, attendees balancing plates of brisket and nachos told Fox News Digital they viewed Trump’s late endorsement as helpful, but not the driving force behind Paxton’s support.

Instead, many pointed to his legal battles against the Biden administration, his conservative credentials and his years as a prominent figure in Texas politics.

Trump’s endorsement, which came exactly a week before Tuesday's runoff election against Republican Sen. John Cornyn, added fresh momentum to one of the nation’s highest-profile GOP contests. The race has stretched on for more than a year and became the most expensive Senate primary in U.S. history.

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Several supporters said they believed Paxton had already built deep loyalty among Texas conservatives well before Trump formally backed his campaign.

"I was at the rally when Trump endorsed Paxton, and honestly, I felt like he already had the support," said Lisa Full of McKinney, Texas. "I don’t think the endorsement changed much for most people because we were already behind Paxton. It may have helped with some voters, but the majority of people I talked to were already supporting him."

Full, who said she knows Paxton through church, also argued that many Republican voters had grown frustrated with Cornyn over the years and were eager for a serious challenger to emerge.

"Texans have been very unhappy with Cornyn for a very long time," Full told Fox News Digital. "We just couldn’t get rid of him because nobody strong would run against him. This is probably the first real hope we’ve had of Cornyn not getting it."

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Other supporters pointed to Paxton’s legal fights with the Biden administration as a major reason they backed his Senate bid.

"He’s helped with big pharma, immigration, border security, education and so many other issues," Cindy Patterson of Richardson, Texas, told Fox News Digital. "He kept us sane during the Biden administration and he won most of the cases against some of the crazy stuff the administration was pushing."

Christie Grubbs, a schoolteacher attending the event, echoed similar sentiments, saying she supports Paxton because of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and his battles with the Biden administration.

As supporters celebrated Paxton’s victory Tuesday night, some were already turning their attention toward the general election and a possible showdown with Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, a rising progressive figure in Texas politics.

Talarico has drawn national attention for his sharp criticism of Republicans and strong social media presence.

Many attendees at the Plano watch party expressed confidence that Paxton’s conservative record and close ties to Trump would resonate more strongly with Texas voters in a head-to-head matchup in November.

"I welcome it, I love the contrast between Paxton and Talarico," John Montes, a magician performing card tricks for guests at the watch party, told Fox News Digital.

"I mean he’s a wacko," Montes said of Talarico.