Ken Paxton projected to win Texas Senate seat runoff
By Easton Martin | May 26, 2026
The Texas Senate race has been called for Ken Paxton.
Paxton secured the Republican nomination after a contentious primary runoff campaign, defeating four-term incumbent Senator John Cornyn. The victory is a decisive win for the party’s populist wing over the traditional establishment.
The campaign intensified following a late endorsement from Donald Trump, who backed Paxton and urged the conservative base to mobilize. Cornyn, a member of the Senate since 2002 and a fixture of party leadership, faced heavy criticism from Paxton over past compromises on federal legislation.
While Cornyn focused his campaign messaging on Paxton’s previous legal battles and impeachment proceedings, the strategy failed to overcome Paxton’s momentum with runoff voters.Paxton advances to the general election on November 3, 2026.
He will face Democratic nominee and State Representative James Talarico, who secured his party’s nomination in March. Republicans now focus on defending the seat in a state where Democrats have not won a U.S. Senate race since 1988.
