Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a major political victory on Tuesday after defeating incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the Republican Senate primary runoff, further strengthening US President Donald Trump’s influence over the Republican Party.
US media outlets Fox News and CNN projected Paxton’s victory shortly after polls closed.
According to AFP, the result highlighted Trump’s continued ability to shape Republican politics, even as some lawmakers in Washington have recently broken ranks with him over issues including Iran, plans for a White House ballroom project and a compensation fund linked to his allies.
Cornyn, a four-term senator and former Republican whip, entered the race as the preferred candidate of the party establishment.
However, Trump’s endorsement late in the campaign shifted momentum strongly in Paxton’s favour. The result made Cornyn the latest Republican incumbent to lose political ground after distancing himself from the president.
The race also exposed growing concerns within the Republican Party ahead of November’s midterm elections. While Trump’s backing often proves decisive in party primaries, some Republican strategists fear his support for hardline conservative candidates could weaken the party in general elections.
Paxton, 63, has faced years of political and legal controversy. The Texas attorney general survived impeachment by the Republican-controlled Texas House in 2023 over allegations including bribery and misconduct. He was later acquitted by the Texas Senate and repeatedly dismissed the allegations as politically motivated.
Cornyn, by contrast, built his reputation as a traditional conservative figure with strong ties to Republican leadership and major donors in Washington. He has represented Texas in the Senate since 2002.
In a Truth Social post over the weekend, Trump praised Paxton as a loyal supporter who stood with “your favourite President, ME”. He also criticised Cornyn, saying the senator failed to fight strongly enough for his agenda.
Paxton will now face Democrat James Talarico in the general election. Talarico, a Texas state representative, has emerged as a rising national political figure and raised significant campaign funds. He argues both Republican candidates represent a political system influenced by wealthy donors.
Republicans remain favourites in Texas, which Trump won by nearly 14 percentage points in the 2024 election. However, Democrats believe Paxton’s controversies could give them a stronger chance of competing statewide.
Paxton’s victory is also expected to increase concern among Senate Republicans, many of whom had privately encouraged Trump to support Cornyn. Some party leaders fear Republicans may now need to spend heavily defending a seat that is usually considered safe.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune warned last week that challenging incumbent Republican senators could create political complications and make it harder to advance Trump’s legislative agenda.
Tensions have already emerged among Republicans in Congress over Iran war powers, funding proposals linked to Trump’s White House ballroom project and his proposed “anti-weaponisation” fund.
For Trump, the Texas result marked another success in a broader campaign against Republican figures who resisted him politically. That effort has already contributed to defeats for Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie and several Indiana lawmakers who opposed his redistricting demands.
In his concession speech, Cornyn quoted scripture and said: “I fought the good fight, I finished the race, and I’ve kept the faith.”
After the result, Talarico thanked Cornyn in a post on X for his service to Texas.
“We don’t agree on everything, but we both still believe in public service,” Talarico wrote. “To Senator Cornyn’s supporters: you have a place in our campaign.”
