Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate in Texas on Tuesday, according to a race call by the Associated Press, after Paxton secured about 62.6% of nearly 695,000 votes with 193 of 254 counties reporting.
Paxton led Cornyn throughout election night as results came in across the state following the close of polls at 8 p.m.
Paxton, who received an endorsement from President Donald Trump during early voting, became the first primary challenger to unseat a sitting U.S. senator from Texas since Lloyd Bentsen defeated Ralph Yarborough in 1970.
Paxton announced his Senate bid in April 2025 during an appearance on Fox News host Laura Ingraham’s program. Cornyn entered the runoff as the incumbent and raised a larger campaign fund than Paxton.
Cornyn led Paxton in the March primary but did not reach the 50% threshold required to avoid a runoff. U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt endorsed Paxton after Trump issued his endorsement.
Political analysts cited by Texas media outlets said Paxton built support among conservative Republican voters who expressed skepticism toward Cornyn.
Paxton will face Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in the November general election.
Cornyn’s campaign focused on his legislative record and experience in the Senate, while Paxton criticized Cornyn for his voting record and his willingness to work with Democrats.
Analysts said Paxton’s general election campaign will require support from Republican voters who backed Cornyn, conservative voters who did not participate in the primary, and independent voters.
