In a closely watched Texas Republican Senate runoff, voters showed sharply divided reactions to President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn.

The contest, held as part of a make-or-break primary runoff, highlighted ongoing tensions within the Republican Party over Trump’s influence and leadership.Outside a polling site in Plano, CNN interviewed two Republican voters who offered contrasting perspectives on the former president’s political sway.

One voter said Trump’s endorsement of Paxton confirmed his decision, stating he tends to support candidates backed by Trump and ultimately shifted his vote toward Paxton after initially considering Cornyn.In contrast, another voter said Trump’s endorsement had the opposite effect, pushing him to support Cornyn instead.

He criticized Trump sharply, saying the former president had “ruined” the Republican Party and contributed to national division, though he still identifies as a Republican.He also described Trump as “bad news.

” Political analysts noted that this exchange reflects a broader statewide divide within the GOP, often described in polling as a 70–30 or 80–20 split between pro-Trump and less Trump-aligned voters.

Meanwhile, Trump reinforced his support for Paxton by reposting messages urging Texans to remove establishment Republicans and praising Paxton as a top attorney general.

Cornyn, for his part, criticized Paxton’s record during appearances on Fox News, pointing to past impeachment proceedings in the Texas House and a multimillion-dollar whistleblower settlement.

The runoff winner is expected to face Democratic state representative James Talarico in the general election, setting the stage for a competitive Senate race in Texas.