Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated four-term Sen. John Cornyn on Tuesday to win the Republican Senate nomination.
Mr. Paxton won with about 64% of the vote and Mr. Cornyn received about 36%, a difference of about 28 points, according to results reported by the Associated Press.
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President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton last week, calling him a “true MAGA warrior.” Cornyn, who was first elected in 2002, became the first Texas Republican senator to lose his nomination for re-election.
Here’s what we know:
Paxton calls Trump supporter ‘the most powerful force in politics’
Paxton’s victory adds to Trump’s growing list of primary wins ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Mr. Cornyn is widely regarded as a traditional establishment Republican, having served in the Senate for more than 20 years and was once a member of the Republican leadership in Congress. Despite support from major donors and party officials, it has struggled to win over Mr. Trump’s supporters.
For months, Mr. Cornyn has sought to demonstrate his support for Mr. Trump and his policies. He highlighted his voting record with Trump, supported some of Trump’s immigration plans and changed his position on some Senate rules to support voting restrictions supported by the president.
But Trump continued to criticize Cornyn, accusing him of being “deeply dishonest” after the senator questioned Trump’s political future in 2023 and waited months before endorsing his 2024 campaign.
Trump’s endorsement of Paxton last week changed the race, making Cornyn the latest Republican incumbent to lose to a Trump-backed challenger.
“We came up a notch tonight,” Cornyn told supporters after calling his campaign, pledging to continue supporting Republican candidates.
The loss makes Cornyn the first Republican senator from Texas to lose a primary while seeking re-election, and the result is likely to end his Senate career.
Paxton celebrated his victory, calling Trump’s support “the most powerful force in politics.”
The Texas race follows recent defeats of Republican incumbents opposed by President Trump, including Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
But some Republicans fear Paxton will struggle in the November midterm elections due to a long history of scandals and legal disputes, including corruption allegations, impeachment proceedings and securities fraud charges. Paxton was impeached in 2023 for abusing his office to benefit donors. However, the Texas Senate acquitted him and allowed him to return to office.
“Many Republicans believe this victory will actually give Donald Trump a headache,” Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher reported from Washington, D.C. “Many Republicans believe this victory will actually give Donald Trump a headache.” “Paxton is too tainted and too extreme to connect with the average Texas voter.”
Paxton will now face Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, who has been targeting centrist and independent voters in his campaign.
Democrats see an opportunity to make Texas Senate race competitive
Democrats hope Paxton’s nomination will turn Texas into a more competitive battleground state in November, even though Republicans have had a long winning streak in the state’s Senate races.
Talarico has sought to present himself as a centrist alternative, focusing his campaign on corruption, public education and economic issues.
Democrats also point to demographic changes across Texas, including growth in Hispanic, Asian and multiracial communities, as signs that the state is becoming more politically competitive.
The Cook Political Report recently changed Texas from “Republican-leaning” to “Republican-leaning,” reflecting expectations for a close race.
“Without a doubt, I will be the No. 1 target of the Democratic Party in November,” Paxton said after winning the race.
The candidate also urged supporters to donate to his campaign, predicting that Talarico “will raise more money than any other Democrat in America.”
“If Republicans lose this state, we will lose our country,” Paxton warned.
Within minutes of Paxton being declared the winner of the U.S. Senate Republican primary runoff, Talarico called Paxton “the most corrupt politician in America” in a social media post.
“He embodies the broken system we face,” Talarico wrote in X.
In another post, he urged Cornyn’s supporters to vote for him. “You have a place to join our campaign,” Talarico wrote.
Veteran Democrat Al Green loses primary to younger challenger
Longtime Democratic congressman Al Green lost the primary to young challenger Christian Menefee, signaling a significant generational shift in one of Texas’ safest Democratic districts.
Menefe will begin his fourth election campaign in about seven months. He first entered the race in a special election in November 2025 to replace former Congressman Sylvester Turner, who died earlier that year. The contest proceeded to a run-off in January, with Menefee winning and being sworn into Congress.
Mr. Menefee then began running for the term in the March 3 Democratic primary, emerging from a battleground race against veteran Congressman Al Green in Tuesday’s runoff.
With this victory, Menefe is expected to go into November’s general election as a strong favorite in the heavily Democratic district.
The race also received national attention due to heavy spending by FairShake, a pro-crypto super PAC that supports Menefee and targets Greene in opposing some of the crypto industry’s policies.
FairShake spent millions of dollars on the runoff, and FairShake spokesman Jeff Vetter claimed the group “made a difference” in the contest.
Colin Allred plans to return to his old House seat
Former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred won a closely watched Democratic primary runoff Tuesday, putting him on track to return to Congress after losing the 2024 Senate race to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.
Mr. Allred left the House in 2024 and challenged Mr. Cruz in the nation’s largest Senate race, but Democrats were unable to flip the seat.
He then prepared to run for the Senate again, but withdrew when Democrat Jasmine Crockett ran. Instead, Allred decided to run for the North Texas state House seat he had held for six years.
In Tuesday’s runoff, Allred defeated U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson, who won her seat after resigning to run for the Senate.
The race was one of the most intense Democratic races in the state, with both candidates attacking each other over money, ethics, and personal wealth.
Mr. Allred criticized Mr. Johnson over stock trades he made while in office, including investments related to Palantir Technologies, a data company with ties to the Trump administration.
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson accused Mr Alled of acting “just for himself” and attacked his personal finances.
The campaign also exposed rifts within the Democratic Party over funding and political influence.
Democrats endorse Johnny Garcia after tight Texas runoff election
Garcia defeated Maureen Galindo in the Democratic primary runoff for Texas’ 35th Congressional District near San Antonio after the National Democratic Party heavily intervened in the race.
Democratic leaders have been working to block Galindo from winning the nomination, citing comments widely condemned as anti-Semitic. According to local media reports, Galindo posted comments about “American Zionists,” repeated conspiracy theories about Jewish influence in politics and media, and referred to Jews as the “Synagogue of the Devil.”
Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Representative Susan DelBene, publicly opposed Galindo’s candidacy. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called Galindo’s comments “disgusting” and said such comments have “no place” in Democratic politics.
The race gained national attention because Republicans recently redistricted districts to help the party win seats. Democrats still believe the district can remain competitive in November’s election, but are concerned that Galindo’s comments could hurt their chances in the general election.
After Mr. Garcia’s victory, the Democratic-leaning House Majority PAC accused Republicans of secretly supporting Mr. Galindo’s campaign through outside groups before November in an effort to undermine Democrats.
