Overview
- Neither John Cornyn nor Ken Paxton withdrew by the 5 p.m. Tuesday deadline, locking both names on the May 26 runoff ballot even if either later suspends the campaign.
- Trump promised to endorse "soon" and urged the other candidate to quit, but he missed the withdrawal window and has not picked a side.
- The Senate opened debate on the SAVE America Act, which requires proof of citizenship to register and photo ID to vote, though it faces long odds under the filibuster.
- Cornyn reversed his longstanding filibuster stance and said he would support changing Senate rules to pass the bill, after Paxton said he would consider exiting if Republicans pushed it through.
- Both campaigns escalated attacks, with Cornyn spotlighting Paxton’s scandals and a pro-Paxton super PAC targeting Trump’s Florida TV market, as GOP leaders press Trump to back Cornyn over electability concerns.