Ken Paxton defeats GOP Sen. John Cornyn in Texas primary runoff

BREAKING NEWSMay. 27, 2026, 1:00 AM UTC2026 Election2026 ElectionKen Paxton defeats GOP Sen. John Cornyn in Texas primary runoffNBC News projects that Paxton, who received a late endorsement from Trump, will advance to the general election to face Democrat James Talarico. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleKornacki Cam: Watch Steve analyze Texas primary runoff resultsGet more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy Bridget BowmanTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton has defeated Sen. John Cornyn for the Republican Senate nomination, NBC News projects, the latest challenger backed by President Donald Trump to unseat an incumbent.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Paxton will face Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in a November race that could become key to the fight for the Senate majority. Trump endorsed Paxton last week, giving him a last-minute boost in his bid to oust Cornyn, who has served in the Senate since 2003. Cornyn and Paxton faced off Tuesday in a head-to-head runoff after no candidate won more than 50% of the vote in the initial multicandidate March primary. Paxton’s victory is the latest in Trump’s successful efforts to oust sitting Republicans who he has perceived as insufficiently loyal as he attempts to tighten his grip on the party. Earlier this month, Trump backed Republican primary opponents who defeated Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy and several Indiana state senators. Paxton told The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show on Tuesday that Trump’s endorsement is the “gold standard,” noting, “I’ve never seen an endorsement matter more since I’ve been paying attention to politics.”Cornyn and his allies, including Senate Republican leadership, had for months pushed Trump to back the four-term senator instead, arguing that Paxton would be a weaker general election candidate. But the president ultimately sided with Paxton, whom Trum...