Ken Paxton secured the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate on Tuesday night, the Associated Press projects.
Paxton jumped out to an early lead, and the Associated Press called the race within an hour of polling places closing.
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Votes
%
Ken Paxton(R)
John Cornyn*(R)
(9,534 / 9,534)
Background
In what was certain to be one of the country’s most closely watched races, two Texas heavyweights vied to become the lone Republican nominee for U.S. Senate.
Following an extensive career in the Texas Legislature, Ken Paxton was elected as Texas Attorney General in 2014 before announcing his U.S. Senate bid in April 2025. John Cornyn, the incumbent, was first elected to the seat in 2002.
When Paxton announced his run for U.S. Senate, Paxton told Fox News host Laura Ingraham that it was “time for a change in Texas.”
Neither Cornyn nor Paxton blinked as they entered the primary field with six other Republican candidates. Both men were working to earn the endorsement of President Donald Trump, but Trump did not publicly back either candidate ahead of the March primary.
As expected, Cornyn and Paxton emerged as the top two vote-getters in the primary. However, Cornyn only secured 42% of the vote compared to Paxton’s 41%.
The candidates continued their campaigns throughout April and May without word of an endorsement from the commander in chief. Seven days before the May 26 runoff, Trump officially endorsed Paxton.
The winner between Cornyn and Paxton will face Democratic nominee James Talarico, an Austin-area state representative and former San Antonio teacher who won his primary bid against U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett.
Talarico launched his campaign last September. He previously told KSAT that his experience as a public school teacher on San Antonio’s West Side shaped his views for his campaign.
According to his campaign website, Talarico is pushing for economic equality, specifically the gap between billionaires and Americans struggling to make ends meet.
U.S. senators are elected for six-year terms.
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