Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Texas after defeating longtime incumbent John Cornyn in Tuesday’s GOP primary runoff. The victory marks a major political shift within the Texas Republican Party and sets up a high-profile general election battle against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico this November.
According to unofficial results reported Tuesday evening, Paxton earned 62.4 percent of the vote, while Cornyn received 38 percent. The result ends Cornyn’s 24-year tenure in the Senate Republican primary spotlight and signals the continued influence of President Donald Trump within Texas GOP politics.
Trump endorsed Paxton during the second day of early voting, a move widely viewed as a turning point in the race. Paxton centered much of his campaign on loyalty to Trump and conservative priorities, while Cornyn’s campaign focused heavily on Paxton’s political controversies, including his 2023 impeachment and allegations surrounding his personal life.
Despite concerns among some Republican strategists about Paxton’s electability in a general election, the attorney general maintained a commanding lead throughout election night. Some GOP operatives had expressed concern that moderate Republicans and independents who traditionally supported Cornyn could shift toward Democrats in November.
Talarico, who avoided a Democratic runoff after securing a majority in March over Jasmine Crockett, quickly reached out to Cornyn supporters following the race call.
“I want to thank Senator John Cornyn for his years representing our state,” Talarico posted on social media. “We don’t agree on everything, but we both still believe in public service.”
He added, “To Senator Cornyn’s supporters: you have a place in our campaign.”
Support for Paxton also came swiftly from prominent Texas Republicans. Dustin Burrows declared victory for Paxton roughly 30 minutes after polls closed, praising him as “a steadfast conservative fighter for Texas.”
Burrows added that Paxton “has led the charge on securing the border, defending our constitutional freedoms, and advancing the conservative principles that have made Texas the strongest and most prosperous state in the nation.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also celebrated the result shortly afterward, posting on social media that Paxton would “destroy Talarico and become the next US Senator from the state of Texas.”
The bitter Republican primary featured months of aggressive attacks from both campaigns. Cornyn repeatedly criticized Paxton over ethics investigations, impeachment proceedings, and personal controversies, while Paxton’s team portrayed Cornyn as insufficiently aligned with Trump and the conservative grassroots base.
After receiving Trump’s endorsement, Paxton signaled a desire to pivot toward the general election, saying he would stop airing negative ads against Cornyn and urging the senator to do the same. Cornyn declined, previously referring to May 26 as “judgement day” for Paxton.
