Paxton picks up CPAC’s endorsement in Texas Senate runoff on final day of convention
CPAC endorses Ken Paxton in U.S. Senate race
A poll of CPAC attendees showed overwhelming support for Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent John Cornyn in Texas' U.S. Senate race. CPAC endorsed Paxton shortly after and addressed the crowd.
GRAPEVINE, Texas - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has gotten the nod from the Conservative Political Action Conference in his bid to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn.
During the convention’s final day in Grapevine, Texas, on Saturday, CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp shook Paxton’s hand center-stage as he announced the group’s official endorsement.
What they're saying:
Paxton thanked the gathering and encouraged them to vote in the May 26 runoff. He also used the opportunity to go after his opponent who opted not to attend the convention this year.
"I think it’s indicative of the problem with John Cornyn that he wouldn’t come to what I think is the largest grassroots event in the last year in Texas, and he wouldn’t even show up," Paxton said.
He also called out the Senate’s failure to pass the SAVE America Act, which would, among other things, require proof of citizenship in order to register to vote. Cornyn has recently endorsed the measure.
Featured
Cornyn makes case for SAVE Act as Trump's Senate endorsement stays pending
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) spoke in favor of passing the SAVE America Act, federally mandating voter ID at the polls, as he and state AG Ken Paxton continue to await an endorsement from the president in their upcoming runoff election.
Dig deeper:
Paxton also brought up the partial government shutdown over funding for the Department of Homeland Security. While the Senate passed a measure to fund DHS early Friday morning, the House rejected it after senators left on a two-week recess.
Featured
President Trump orders DHS to pay TSA workers during shutdown
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers will soon be getting paid.
"Let’s get rid of the guy that represents Washington, and let’s put somebody in that represents Texas," Paxton said.
What's next:
Early voting for the runoff between Cornyn and Paxton runs from May 18-22. The last day to register to vote is April 27.
The other side:
Cornyn's Senior Campaign Advisor Matt Mackowiak sent the following statement about the endorsement:
"Senator Cornyn over-performed all expectations by winning the primary after Ken Paxton spent two weeks predicting he would win without a runoff. Sen. Cornyn has voted with President Trump 99.3% of the time and is one of his most effective allies in the Senate. Democrats nominated their strongest candidate for U.S. Senate. Texas Republicans must nominate John Cornyn who is our strongest nominee by far to gain five new Congressional seats and advance Trump’s legislative agenda in the final two years of his second term. We have a plan to win the runoff and we are executing it."
The Source: Information in this story came from Ken Paxton’s remarks at CPAC, the Texas Secretary of State’s website and previous FOX Local reporting.