Trump-Backed Texas AG Ken Paxton Beats John Cornyn in Senate Primary Runoff
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won the state’s Republican Senate primary runoff Tuesday night, besting incumbent Senator John Cornyn following a hard-fought campaign capped off with an endorsement from President Donald Trump.
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All polls across the state had closed by 9 p.m. ET, when the race was almost immediately called for Paxton. With just over 50 percent of the votes in, Paxton held onto his early lead against Cornyn, solidifying his victory against the incumbent senator.
Paxton, who has faced scrutiny for a litany of scandals throughout his tenure, moved to a runoff against Cornyn after neither candidate was able to secure 50 percent of the vote in the initial primary election in March. Paxton will face off in November against Democratic nominee James Talarico, who beat Representative Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary in March.
Cornyn, who has represented Texas in the U.S. Senate since 2002, has long publicly supported the president and even introduced his 2026 campaign by saying he was running “so President Trump and I can pick up where we left off.”
Paxton, however, came out strongly in support of passing the SAVE America Act and ending the Senate filibuster — key tenets of the president’s agenda that have faced opposition among Senate Republicans — earning him Trump’s favor leading up to Tuesday’s election. Upon receiving the last-minute endorsement on May 19, Paxton preemptively declared Tuesday a victory.
“We’ll have Tuesday, and then we’re going to have a little race with James Talarico,” Paxton had said at a rally in San Antonio.
Cornyn has predicted that Paxton could cost the party his seat if he’s allowed to go up against Talarico, a rising Democratic star and prolific fundraiser.
“I think Ken Paxton’s flaws and the baggage he brings to the general election are going to be exploited up to the fullest by James Talarico and by Democrats,” Cornyn told Fox News on Tuesday.
Cornyn earned 42.5 percent of the vote in March’s initial primary election, compared with Paxton’s almost 41 percent.
The president’s March 4 Truth Social post, in which he touts his continued electoral victories, reads, “It is such an honor to realize and say that almost everyone I Endorse WINS, and wins by a lot, especially in Texas! I will be making my Endorsement soon, and will be asking the candidate that I don’t Endorse to immediately DROP OUT OF THE RACE!”
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Yet Cornyn did not drop out when he did not receive the president’s endorsement, perhaps in part because of Paxton’s controversial and scandal-ridden past.
“I know who gets to choose our senators, and it’s the people of Texas,” Cornyn said, following the president’s endorsement of Paxton.
Paxton was impeached by a Republican-led Texas house over allegations that he abused the power of his office to benefit an Austin-based real estate developer and donor. The state senate, however, acquitted Paxton. Some of Paxton’s top aides reported this behavior to the FBI, at which time he fired them, and the group filed wrongful termination suits. Further, after taking office in 2015, Paxton was indicted on securities fraud charges. The criminal charges were dropped in 2024, but Paxton agreed to pay restitution and complete community service.
The scandal extends to Paxton’s personal life as well: He is now in the midst of a divorce after allegations of infidelity.
Talarico has served in the state house since 2018 and has generated significant national media attention despite his relative lack of experience. He’s been able to parlay his rising profile into significant fundraising power, bringing in $27 million in the first quarter of 2026.
Talarico is studying to become a pastor and speaks often about how his Christian faith informs his left-wing social views, including on gender identity and abortion.
A 2021 video of Talarico resurfaced during the campaign, in which he suggested “modern science obviously recognizes that there are many more than two biological sexes. In fact, there are six.” Another clip from 2022 made headlines, when Talarico suggested that Texans limit their meat consumption to help lessen the effects of climate change and promote animal welfare. Texas eats more meat per capita than any other state in the U.S.
This Senate race is the most expensive in U.S. history, with hundreds of millions of dollars spent during the primary and the runoff. Cornyn and his allies alone have spent upwards of $90 million since last year, in an attempt to save his seat from Paxton’s challenge.
