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

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated Sen. John Cornyn in a Republican run-off primary on Tuesday night, setting up a November general election against Democratic state legislator James Talarico.

“MAGA candidate's win in Texas primary may also help Democrats in Senate battle Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton easily defeated Senator John Cornyn in a Republican run-off primary on Tuesday night”

BBC

CBS News described the contest as a trade of attacks in the Texas Senate race, with Paxton and Talarico facing off after Paxton’s win.

BBC

FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth reported Paxton won with 62.6% of the vote, after unseating Cornyn, and quoted Paxton saying, "Instead, President Trump gave me his Complete and Total Endorsement."

In the same FOX 4 report, Paxton attacked Talarico as "a threat to our way of life and our values," while Talarico said on March 3 that "Something just happened in Texas."

The BBC said Paxton’s win may also help Democrats in the Senate battle, noting that polls have indicated a tight race in a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988.

In a Cook Political Report shift described by The Hill, the race moved from "likely Republican" to "lean Republican" after Paxton defeated Cornyn, with the report citing "Paxton has a litany of ethical lapses for Democrats to exploit."

CBS News

FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth reported Paxton released a new ad attacking Talarico and quoted Paxton saying, "He is a threat to our way of life and our values."

The Hill also quoted Talarico calling Paxton "the most corrupt politician in America" in a May 26 video released almost immediately after the results were called.

NPR said the matchup is set for November and that Cook Political Report moved the race from "Likely Republican" to "Lean Republican" just moments after the race had been called Tuesday night.

“James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Texas, is back in the national spotlight after Republicans picked their standard-bearer for the race on Tuesday”

CNN

NPR also reported that in 2026 the Texas Senate race is "the second most expensive race in the country this year" after the California governor election, with "more than $108 million" spent on that one race this year.

Time Magazine said Republicans faced a $250 million hole in Trump’s Senate map after Paxton’s win, describing it as "That’s the internal price tag being circulated among Republicans" for helping Paxton hold the seat.

The BBC framed the broader consequence as whether Democrats can win back control of the US Senate for the final two years of Donald Trump’s presidency, with the outcome of the Paxton-Talarico contest determining that control.