Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has ousted three-term U.S. Senator John Cornyn in the Republican primary runoff, according to the Associated Press projection. With 59% of the vote counted by 8:45pm local time, Paxton led with 63.2% against Cornyn's 36.8%. The upset topples one of the Senate's most senior GOP members and signals a continued rightward shift within the party.
The result underscores how loyalty to former President Donald Trump continues to reshape Republican primaries nationwide. Trump delivered a last-minute endorsement for Paxton, who successfully framed the contest as a rebellion against party establishment figures. Cornyn, a former Senate Majority Whip, had represented Texas since 2002 and was seen as a mainstream conservative.
Paxton now faces Democratic nominee James Talarico in the general election, a race that will test whether his coalition of grassroots conservatives can hold in a statewide contest. The attorney general has been a polarizing figure, having faced securities fraud charges and an FBI investigation into corruption allegations, though he has denied wrongdoing.
"Tonight is the beginning of the fight to preserve every value we hold dear," Paxton told supporters, pivoting quickly to the general election. Cornyn struck a conciliatory tone: "I've always supported the Republican ticket, and I intend to do so again in this general election. I trust the voters of Texas, and they made their decision."
Some analysts caution that Paxton's legal vulnerabilities could become a liability in a general election, potentially alienating moderate and suburban voters who might otherwise vote Republican. The race will be closely watched as a barometer of how far the Trump-era populist wave can carry candidates with controversial records.