OAN Staff Jenna Lee
6:06 PM – Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton squared off and won against incumbent four-term Senator John Cornyn in a high-stakes Republican primary runoff Tuesday evening.
The Associated Press called the race for Paxton on Tuesday night with just 49% of the votes tallied. Paxton secured a decisive 62.5% victory with 503,591 votes, soundly defeating Cornyn, who pulled in 37.5% or 302,591 votes.
The blowout win caps off a highly competitive race that shifted dramatically in its final days, following a high-profile endorsement from President Donald Trump that heavily catalyzed turnout for Paxton.
In the initial primary round on March 3rd, Cornyn led Paxton 43% to 41%, but neither managed to secure the 50% majority required to avoid a runoff.
Trump’s endorsement of Paxton, whom he has praised as a “true MAGA Warrior,” signals another effort by the president to challenge less loyal Republican lawmakers. Paxton, a staunch conservative firebrand now serving his third term as the state’s 51st Attorney General, has heavily aligned his campaign with the MAGA base.
Cornyn, first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002 and currently serving his fourth term, has extensive experience crafting legislation on behalf of over 31 million Texans.
From 2013 to 2019, his colleagues elected him to serve as the Republican Whip, the second-highest ranking position in the Senate Republican Conference. He has also served as a district judge, a member of the Texas Supreme Court, and as the Texas Attorney General.
The winner of Tuesday’s fierce runoff now faces Democrat state Representative James Talarico (D-Texas) in the November midterm elections.
The Texas Senate race is crucial as Democrats have high hopes of flipping the state’s U.S. Senate seat in November, depending on the demographic shifts in the electorate.
While the voting-eligible population grew by 1.7 million — driven by sizable increases among Hispanic, Latino, and Asian demographics — Trump simultaneously made notable gains with Latino voters in the 2024 election. Since Cornyn led Paxton in the March 3rd primary, Tuesday’s runoff was major test of the strength of Trump’s endorsement.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news alerts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments!
Sponsored Content Below
Be the first to comment