MAY 27, 2026
Ken Paxton defeats John Cornyn in Texas GOP Senate runoff, setting up competitive general election
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated four-term incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the Republican Senate primary runoff on Tuesday, winning by more than 27 percentage points — 63.8% to 36.2%. Paxton received Trump's endorsement one week before the election and will face Democratic nominee James Talarico, a state legislator, in the November general election. The Republican primary was described as the most expensive Senate primary in the country's recent history, with approximately $128 million in ads run during the contest.
Ken Paxton's margin of victory surprised many observers and exposed a significant polling miss. Pre-election surveys had predicted Paxton winning by roughly 8 points on average; he won by more than 27. The Washington Examiner reported that only one of six polls released in May showed a double-digit Paxton win. Turnout factors compounded the gap: Paxton received a similar raw vote count to his March primary total — approximately 886,000 votes — while Cornyn's support fell from roughly 910,000 votes in March to about 502,000 in the runoff, with nearly 779,000 fewer total ballots cast compared to the initial primary.
Trump's late endorsement, delivered one week before the runoff, was cited across coverage as a decisive factor. Fox News framed the result as a demonstration of Trump's commanding grip on the Republican Party, detailing Paxton's victory speech and his exclusive post-victory remarks to the outlet. The Associated Press led instead with what the result could mean for November, noting that Trump's consolidation of the party around candidates like Paxton could make it harder for Republicans to hold battleground seats given broader voter dissatisfaction with the economy and the ongoing U.S. war with Iran. The New York Times framed the outcome primarily as a transformation of the Texas Senate race into a national battleground, expanding Democrats' map for recapturing the Senate majority.
Paxton enters the general election carrying significant legal and personal baggage. He was indicted on felony securities fraud charges, impeached by the Texas House in 2023 though acquitted by the state Senate, and ultimately agreed to pay $300,000 in restitution to avoid a felony trial, according to the AP. His wife filed for divorce citing "biblical grounds," and a trial is scheduled for late June if the couple cannot reach a settlement, according to the Times. CNN reported that the Senate Republican campaign arm — the NRSC — moved to delete at least two dozen press releases, digital ads, and social media posts that had previously described Paxton as "Crooked Ken," accused him of giving favorable treatment to an alleged child sex trafficker, and charged him with misusing taxpayer funds. The NRSC declined to comment on the deletions and did not name Paxton in its post-runoff statement.