Ken Paxton Defeats John Cornyn in Texas Senate Runoff, Sets Up Fight With James Talarico

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won the Republican nomination for the United States Senate on Tuesday, defeating four-term Senator John Cornyn, setting up a general election against Democratic state Representative James Talarico.

“Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won the Republican nomination for the United States Senate on Tuesday, defeating four-term Senator John Cornyn”

Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera reported that Paxton won with about 64 percent of the vote while Cornyn received about 36 percent, a margin of roughly 28 percentage points, and CNN projected Paxton would defeat Cornyn in the runoff.

Al Jazeera

NPR said the Texas Senate seat became much more competitive after Paxton’s win, with Cook Political Report shifting the race from “likely Republican” to “Lean Republican” just moments after the race had been called.

CNN also reported that Paxton thanked President Donald Trump for his endorsement and said, “His endorsement is the most powerful force in politics,” while NBC News projected Paxton would face Talarico in November.

In the same NBC News report, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he spoke to Paxton and Cornyn and described the party’s pivot as “ready to go for the fall election and not taking any time off,” after Cornyn’s loss.

Hours after the race was called, Donald Trump attacked his Democratic rival James Talarico on Truth Social, saying Talarico “may be the worst Texas candidate I have ever seen” and claiming he was weak on crime and an advocate for open borders.

The Guardian reported that Trump also claimed Talarico was a vegan who “dislikes meat, not exactly a good way to be if you’re wanting to win an Election in Texas,” and that Talarico denied being vegan.

BBC

In response to Paxton’s nomination, Democrats framed the contest as a chance to flip the seat, with CNN reporting that the campaign arm for Senate Democrats said Paxton’s win puts them “one step closer to winning a Senate majority.”

The Washington Post described the runoff as ending a bitter race driven by a MAGA insurgency that ballooned into the most expensive Senate primary in history, while USA Today said Paxton would face Talarico in a fall race that shakes up the 2026 Senate map.

Fox News quoted Sen. Lisa Murkowski saying the move “puts that seat in jeopardy,” and it also cited Sen. Steve Daines saying he believed “John Cornyn was the safest bet” even after Trump’s endorsement of Paxton.

The stakes for Republicans are tied to whether Paxton can hold the seat in November, with NBC News projecting Paxton would face Talarico and quoting Thune saying the seat is “going to be very key to our majority, which will determine the future of our country.”

NPR said the Texas Senate race is already the second most expensive race in the country this year, after the California governor election, and it reported that more than $108 million has been spent on that one race this year, including Republicans spending almost $75 million.

Time Magazine said Senate Republicans spent $90 million on defending John Cornyn and sinking Paxton, and it described an internal price tag of $250 million being circulated for helping Paxton hold the seat.

In the political fight over the nominee, USA Today quoted Talarico calling Paxton “the most corrupt politician in America,” while The Hill quoted Cook Political Report editor Jessica Taylor saying “Paxton has a litany of ethical lapses for Democrats to exploit.”

Politico reported that Republicans worry Trump’s endorsement of Paxton over Cornyn has alienated lawmakers and risks turning off major GOP donors, and it quoted a Texas Republican state lawmaker saying, “The vitriol is going to be real,” after Trump “destroyed that trust there.”