Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton easily defeated incumbent Senator John Cornyn in Tuesday’s Republican primary runoff, delivering President Donald Trump another major victory in the GOP’s ongoing internal fight between establishment conservatives and the party’s MAGA wing.
With approximately 59% of votes counted by late evening, Paxton secured 62.5% of the ballots to Cornyn’s 37.5%.
Paxton’s victory marked the latest example of Trump-backed challengers toppling longtime Republican officeholders, following recent primary defeats for Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
Trump endorsed Paxton late in the contest and repeatedly framed the race as a referendum on the future direction of the Republican Party. Paxton embraced the president’s backing throughout the campaign, portraying Cornyn as part of an outdated GOP establishment disconnected from the party’s grassroots base.
Cornyn, who had served in the Senate since 2002 and previously held leadership positions within the chamber’s Republican conference, argued his experience and fundraising strength made him the strongest candidate to keep the seat for November.
However, the veteran senator struggled to overcome conservative dissatisfaction over issues including U.S. aid to Ukraine, bipartisan Senate negotiations, and his support for a federal gun safety package following the 2022 Uvalde school shooting.
The race became one of the most expensive Senate primaries in Texas history, with outside groups and campaigns spending well over $100 million combined.
Paxton now advances to face Democratic challenger James Talarico in November, expected to become one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races.
Democrats are likely to capitalize on Paxton’s long history of legal controversies, including past impeachment proceedings and securities fraud allegations. Republicans will argue that the attorney general’s close alliance with Trump should energize conservative turnout in Texas.
The result is expected to intensify concerns among traditional Republicans about the shrinking political space for GOP officeholders perceived as insufficiently aligned with Trump.
