Overview
- Early voting is underway through Feb. 27 in a three-way race featuring Sen. John Cornyn, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt, with recent polls showing Paxton ahead.
- With no candidate expected to clear 50 percent on March 3, a runoff is widely anticipated for May 26.
- AdImpact tracks nearly $100 million in ads, with about $59 million tied to Cornyn-aligned efforts, prompting concerns about draining GOP resources from other battlegrounds.
- President Donald Trump has declined to pick a candidate, saying he supports all three, even as close advisers Chris LaCivita and Tony Fabrizio assist Cornyn.
- Senate GOP leaders and the NRSC are backing Cornyn, Cornyn argues Paxton would trigger an Election Day backlash, and Hunt pitches a younger, term-limits alternative while absorbing attacks from both rivals.