AUSTIN: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton received endorsement for election to a third term from former President Donald Trump, who called the legally beleaguered incumbent "a true Texan".
In a statement, Trump said that Paxton is strong on crime, border security, gun rights, sound elections and the US constitution. "He is a true Texan who will keep Texas safe and will never let you down," his endorsement message concluded.
The endorsement comes in the face of ongoing investigations of security fraud allegations and whether his petitioning of the US Supreme Court to overturn the election of President Joe Biden constituted professional misconduct.
Allegations that Paxton abused his office to help an Austin businessman are also under FBI scrutiny after then-top Paxton aides levelled bribery and abuse-of-office charges against him. On social media, Paxton said he was "honoured to receive the endorsement of President Donald J. Trump".
Paxton had drawn challenges for the GOP nomination from Land Commissioner George P. Bush and ex-state Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman. Bush, the son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and grandson of former President George HW Bush, had broken with his family and expressed support for Trump, who has mocked the Bush family that was once the face of the Republican Party.
In social media postings, Bush said: "I'm running for Attorney General because Texans deserve integrity and honesty from the office of Texas' top law enforcement official. Texans deserve a candidate without a laundry list of existing and potential criminal indictments."
The Guzman campaign did not immediately return a message seeking comment.