Politics

Flashback: Ken Paxton Considered Dropping Out If Senate GOP Could Do One Thing

Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in March that he would consider dropping out of the Texas Senate race if the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act passed.

Paxton said in a March 5 statement that he was “committed” to helping President Donald Trump pass the SAVE Act, which would require all voters to present documentation proving their U.S. citizenship before casting a ballot in a federal election. He stated he may have dropped out of the race if the key piece of legislation were to pass the Senate.

“The Save America Act is the most important bill the U.S. Senate could ever pass, and I’m committed to helping President Trump get it done. I would consider dropping out of this race if Senate Leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and passes the SAVE America Act,” Paxton said. “John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill. Now, Fake News reporters and the establishment are trying to destroy me with misinformation. The truth is clear: No one has been more loyal to Donald Trump than me—fighting the stolen 2020 election, being in Mar-a-Lago when he announced his 2024 campaign, and standing with him in NY in the face of lawfare.”

“For the good of our country and for the good of passing President Trump’s agenda, I am determined to help him get this done,” Paxton continued.

The Save America Act is the most important bill the U.S. Senate could ever pass, and I’m committed to helping President Trump get it done.

I would consider dropping out of this race if Senate Leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and passes the SAVE America Act.

John Cornyn…

— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) March 5, 2026

Paxton defeated Cornyn by a 28-point margin in Texas’ runoff election Tuesday after Trump made a last-minute endorsement for him on May 19. The SAVE America Act has yet to pass the Senate, prompting Paxton to remain in the race.

Cornyn originally co-sponsored the SAVE Act and introduced the legislation in the Senate along with Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee. Republican Texas Rep. Chip Roy introduced the bill in the House. He was among a handful of Senate Republicans who considered nuking the filibuster in order to pass the SAVE America Act.

Trump accused Cornyn in a Truth Social statement of being “very disloyal” and of not fighting hard enough to pass his agenda. In March, Cornyn published an op-ed for the New York Post arguing that Democrats’ willingness to use procedural hurdles to block the SAVE America Act justified changing Senate rules.

The SAVE America Act passed the House on April 10 in a 220-208 vote.