Ken Paxton Upsets John Cornyn to Win Texas Republican Senate Nomination

Overview

• Ken Paxton defeated four-term Sen. John Cornyn with more than 60% of the vote in the Republican runoff, clinching the nomination on May 27, 2026.
• A late public endorsement from President Donald Trump was widely credited with shifting GOP primary voters and sealing Paxton’s comeback against the party establishment.
• Paxton enters the general election with a record of legal and ethical controversies, including a 2023 impeachment by the Texas House, criminal indictments, public allegations of corruption and a highly public divorce.
• Democrat James Talarico will face Paxton in November and begins the race with a large fundraising edge, roughly $40 million to Paxton’s reported $2.3 million, and nonpartisan ratings moved the seat toward competitiveness.
• Republican strategists warned that Paxton’s nomination could force major reallocations of money and attention to Texas, a shift that could affect the Senate majority where Republicans hold a 53–47 edge and Democrats need a net gain of four seats.