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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in Tuesday’s Republican Senate primary runoff, marking another victory for President Donald Trump and the party’s MAGA-aligned wing.
Decision Desk HQ projected Paxton as the winner roughly one hour after polls closed. With approximately 59 percent of votes counted, Paxton led with 62.5 percent compared with Cornyn’s 37.5 percent.
The result represented the latest high-profile defeat for an established Republican officeholder backed by Trump-aligned challengers. Recent losses by Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie reveal President Trump’s continued influence inside the Republican Party.
The president endorsed Paxton late in the race and repeatedly described the contest as a battle over the future direction of the GOP. Paxton embraced President Trump’s support throughout the campaign and portrayed Cornyn as part of a Republican establishment increasingly disconnected from conservative grassroots voters.
President Trump celebrated the win on Truth Social, highlighting Paxton as part of a 4-0 list of victories in Texas on Tuesday. Jon Bonck, Alex Mealer and Carlos De La Cruz also won following the president’s endorsements.
Cornyn, who has served in the Senate since 2002 and previously held leadership roles within the Senate Republican conference, argued his experience and fundraising ability made him the strongest Republican candidate for the general election.
But the longtime senator faced mounting criticism from conservatives over issues including U.S. aid to Ukraine, bipartisan Senate negotiations and his support for a federal gun safety package passed after the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde.
The contest became one of the most expensive Senate primaries in Texas history, with campaigns and outside political groups spending more than $100 million combined.
Paxton will now face Democratic nominee James Talarico in November in what is expected to become one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races. Democrats are expected to focus heavily on Paxton’s history of legal and political controversies, including past impeachment proceedings and securities fraud allegations.