Paxton Tops Cornyn in Texas GOP Senate Runoff

Texas voters handed Attorney General Ken Paxton the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate on May 27, 2026, after he defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the runoff by a wide margin. The outcome places Paxton, who carries multiple settled legal matters and an impeachment acquittal, against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in November. Control of the seat affects the Senate balance and tests whether a candidate aligned with former President Trump can hold a state that has not elected a Democrat statewide since 1994.

Paxton secured the nomination after Trump endorsed him on May 19. Cornyn had led after the March primary but fell short of a majority. Paxton’s campaign emphasized alignment with Trump priorities, while Cornyn highlighted his Senate voting record that matched Trump positions at a 99 percent rate. Most Republicans who backed Cornyn have since pledged support for Paxton, though former state Sen. Jeff Wentworth reported some Cornyn voters remain undecided or unwilling to back either major-party candidate.

Talarico opened his general-election effort the next day at a Houston rally, attacking Paxton’s legal record that includes a settled securities-fraud indictment and a House impeachment later acquitted by the Senate. Paxton countered by labeling Talarico an outsider and highlighting a 2021 legislative comment on biological sex that Talarico later clarified referred to chromosomal abnormalities. Both campaigns traded personal lines within 24 hours of the primary result.

Fundraising shifted immediately. Talarico reported a surge after Paxton’s win. Republicans have discussed spending as much as $250 million to defend the seat, according to reports cited by multiple outlets. An April University of Texas poll showed Talarico ahead by eight points before the runoff concluded; prediction markets placed Talarico near even odds afterward. No subsequent nonpartisan race rating has moved the contest out of the Republican-leaning column.

The race now centers on whether Paxton’s primary strength among Trump-aligned voters translates to November turnout or whether Talarico can expand the coalition that has narrowed Republican margins in recent cycles. Five months remain until Election Day.