Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won the Republican nomination for the United States Senate on Tuesday, defeating four-term Senator John Cornyn in a closely watched runoff that reshaped the state’s political landscape ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
According to results reported by The Associated Press, Paxton secured about 64 percent of the vote, while Cornyn received roughly 36 percent.
The defeat made Cornyn the first Republican senator from Texas to lose his party’s nomination for re-election.
US President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton days before the vote, calling him a “true MAGA warrior”, while Paxton later described the endorsement as “the most powerful force in politics”.
Cornyn acknowledged the loss after the race was called, telling supporters, “Tonight, we’ve come up short.”
Paxton’s victory added to a growing list of Trump-backed Republican primary wins before the 2026 midterms.
Cornyn, who served in the Senate for more than two decades and held leadership positions within the Republican Party, struggled to consolidate support among Trump-aligned voters despite emphasizing his voting record with the president.
Trump had repeatedly criticized Cornyn as “very disloyal” after the senator questioned Trump’s political future in 2023 and delayed endorsing his 2024 campaign.
Paxton campaigned against Cornyn as an establishment figure disconnected from conservative voters in Texas.
The contest became the most expensive Senate primary campaign in US history.
Despite being heavily outspent, Paxton maintained strong backing among the Republican base.
Some Republicans, however, expressed concern that Paxton’s history of legal controversies and impeachment proceedings could weaken the party in the general election.
Paxton will now face Democratic state Representative James Talarico in November.
Democrats believe Paxton’s nomination could make Texas more competitive after years of Republican dominance in Senate races.
The Cook Political Report recently shifted Texas from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican”.
Talarico criticized Paxton shortly after the runoff result, calling him “the most corrupt politician in America”.
Paxton warned supporters that Democrats would heavily target the race and urged Republicans to unite behind his campaign.
Other major Texas runoff races also highlighted shifts within both parties, including Congressman Christian Menefee defeating veteran Democrat Al Green and former Representative Colin Allred winning a Democratic congressional runoff in North Texas.