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Texas voters are heading to the polls today in what has turned into a high-stakes Republican Senate showdown
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and President Trump is now firmly in the middle of it. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and longtime Republican Senator John Cornyn spent more than a year battling for the GOP nomination
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But the race took a major turn when Trump stepped in with a late endorsement of Paxton
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Trump called Paxton a, quote, true MAGA warrior on Truth Social last week
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and has framed him as the candidate more closely aligned with his movement
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Cornyn has spent the campaign trying to make the case that he's delivered for conservatives
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while also reminding voters that he's backed Trump policies nearly all of the time in the Senate
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His allies have also leaned heavily into attacks on Paxton, arguing the attorney general's past legal and political controversies
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could create problems in a general election. Trump reinforced his support again last week, predicting Paxton would win
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I believe the Texas candidate, who's Ken Paxton, I think he'll win
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I think probably he'll win very substantially. And I think he'll go on to defeat a very defective candidate
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a candidate that believes in six genders, and he takes it to Jesus Christ
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and he's wearing a mask six months ago. That candidate Trump is referring to is Democrat James Tallarico, who in November will face off against today's winner
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And while today's runoff tops the Texas ballot, voters are also deciding several closely watched House races shaped by the state's recent redistricting fight
