Trump-Backed Ken Paxton Ousts Senator John Cornyn in Texas Runoff
NBC News projected Tuesday night that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had defeated incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn in the state’s GOP Senate runoff. The result hands President Donald Trump another scalp in his campaign to reshape the Republican Party in his own image.
Another Incumbent Falls to Trump’s Machine
Paxton will now face Democratic state Representative James Talarico in November. That race could become a key battleground in the wider fight for Senate control. Trump delivered a late endorsement of Paxton just last week, providing a critical surge of momentum against a senator who had held his seat since 2003.
The contest was forced into a runoff after no candidate cleared 50% in a crowded March primary. Paxton’s victory follows Trump-endorsed challengers this month eliminating Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, and multiple Indiana state legislators. The pattern is unmistakable.
A Candidate With a Complicated Record
Paxton’s path to the nomination was not without controversy. A Republican-controlled Texas House impeached him in 2023 on bribery and corruption charges. The state Senate subsequently acquitted him. His personal life drew further scrutiny after his wife publicly filed for divorce last year on what she described as biblical grounds.
Cornyn’s allies, including senior Senate Republican leadership, had spent months urging Trump to stay loyal to the incumbent. Their central argument was that Paxton’s baggage would make him a weaker general-election candidate and potentially drain national party resources. Trump ultimately dismissed those concerns, publicly labeling Paxton “a true MAGA warrior.”
Paxton Claims a Texas-Sized Mandate
In his victory remarks, Paxton credited Trump directly and effusively. He told supporters that when Washington figures urged the president to abandon him, Trump refused. Paxton framed the result as a rebuke of the old-guard Republican establishment.
Cornyn struck a conciliatory note in defeat. He pledged to back Paxton in November, saying he had always supported the Republican ticket and intended to do so again.
Still, some Republicans privately worry that Paxton’s record could energize Democratic turnout in a state Trump carried by 14 points in 2024. Paxton’s team, however, contends he can mobilize Trump’s core supporters who typically sit out midterm cycles. That argument will be stress-tested in what could become one of November’s most closely watched Senate contests.
Read Next: What Trump’s 2026 Primary Wins Mean for Senate Control
