Trump-backed Ken Paxton ousts incumbent John Cornyn in Texas GOP Senate runoff, setting up high-stakes November race

A decisive MAGA victory

Ken Paxton, the scandal-plagued Texas attorney general and ardent Trump loyalist, easily defeated incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn in Tuesday's Republican primary runoff. With 60% of the vote counted, Paxton led with 62% to Cornyn's 38%, according to projections. The race, the most expensive Senate primary in U.S. history at $100 million, was a referendum on loyalty to President Trump and the direction of the Republican Party.

Paxton was Donald Trump before Donald Trump was. He was in the vanguard of the Tea Party movement, which was a major spur for the Maga movement nationally.

Cornyn, 74, a Senate mainstay for over two decades, had sought Trump's favor by posting photos of himself reading "The Art of the Deal" and visiting a Trump Burger restaurant. But Trump endorsed Paxton last week while early voting was underway, calling Cornyn "a good man" who was "not supportive of me when times were tough." Paxton, 63, had filed a lawsuit attempting to overturn the 2020 election results, an effort the Supreme Court rejected.

A scandal-scarred nominee

Paxton brings significant political baggage to the general election. He was impeached by the Texas House in 2023 on corruption charges and reported to the FBI, though he was later acquitted in the Texas Senate. He has also faced criminal indictments, whistleblower allegations, and a messy divorce from his wife, state Senator Angela Paxton, who filed on "biblical grounds" last summer. National Republicans worry they will have to spend millions rehabilitating his image for skeptical GOP voters, moderates, and independents.

Whenever I'm around him, good things happen. Good things happen to me and good things happen for Texas. So I love Donald Trump.

Paxton's supporters viewed his legal battles as proof he is a fighter, much like Trump. They criticized Cornyn for working with Democrats on bipartisan gun legislation after the 2022 Uvalde school shooting and for failing to help end the Senate filibuster to pass the SAVE Act, which would require documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration.

Democratic hopes rise

Paxton will face Democratic nominee James Talarico, a state representative, former schoolteacher, and Presbyterian seminarian running on a platform of Christian progressivism. Talarico won his primary outright in March, avoiding a runoff, and has spent the intervening months raising money and unifying the party, including meeting with former President Barack Obama and voting rights activist Opal Lee.

Our movement to take back Texas for working people rises above party politics. The biggest fight is not left versus right, it's top versus bottom.

Democrats have not won a statewide office in Texas since 1994, but they see this race as their best opportunity in years. Trump's approval rating has fallen amid the war in Iran, corruption scandals, and an immigration crackdown that has eroded his support among Hispanic voters — a critical constituency in his 2024 reelection victory. Midterm elections historically favor the opposing party, and Democrats are already favored to win the House.

Trump's grip tightens

The Texas result reaffirms Trump's dominance over the Republican Party, even as his poll numbers decline. Cornyn's defeat follows primary losses by other Trump critics this month in Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Georgia. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who voted to impeach Trump, also lost his primary. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who worked with Cornyn on gun legislation, announced he would not seek reelection after clashing with Trump over Medicaid cuts.

Cornyn conceded the race Tuesday evening. His loss marks a decisive victory for the party's MAGA wing over the old guard in the most populous and powerful Republican state, and sets the stage for a nationally watched general election battle in November.