Overview
- Ken Paxton defeated Sen. John Cornyn by about 28 points in the Republican runoff on Tuesday, clinching the GOP nomination for the November Senate race.
- President Trump’s endorsement in the final days of the contest is widely credited with shifting undecided voters and helping Paxton close a gap that had favored Cornyn.
- In the days after his loss, Cornyn posted the scorpion‑and‑frog fable on X, then cited a Winston Churchill line and 2 Timothy 4:7, posts that many commentators read as a veiled rebuke of Paxton or Trump.
- Paxton enters the general election with extensive legal and ethical baggage, including a 2023 impeachment by the Texas House, a state Senate acquittal, whistleblower settlements, and past fraud allegations that Democrats plan to highlight.
- Political forecasters have moved the race toward Democrats and warn Republicans may need to divert national money and staff to defend the seat, a shift that could change campaign plans and voter outreach in Texas.