Overview
- Ken Paxton defeated four-term Sen. John Cornyn by roughly 63.8% to 36.2% with more than 98% of precincts tallied, and Cornyn conceded after the May 26 runoff.
- President Trump’s public endorsement in mid‑May gave Paxton a late, decisive boost that many outlets and analysts say swung conservative primary voters toward him.
- Paxton’s record includes a 2023 Texas House impeachment and acquittal by the state Senate, a long securities-related legal dispute that ended in a 2024 settlement, whistleblower lawsuits by former aides, and public allegations of an extramarital affair and divorce.
- Democrats say those controversies create a pickup opportunity and the party’s nominee, James Talarico, has already moved to court Cornyn supporters as the campaigns shift to the November 3 general election.
- The runoff was defined by low, more conservative turnout and heavy spending in a contest that pushed total ad buys near industry estimates of $128 million, a dynamic that reshapes Republican strategy and could affect the fight for Senate control.