Texas GOP voters oust Cornyn in Paxton upset

Republican primary voters on Tuesday rejected U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, one of the Senate's most senior GOP members, in favor of https://www.axios.com/2026/05/19/trump-endorsement-texas-senate-race-ken-paxton" target="_blank">Trump-backed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Why it matters: Cornyn's loss marks one of the most significant defeats for a Republican senator in years and underscores how https://www.axios.com/2026/05/19/trump-endorsement-texas-senate-race-ken-paxton" target="_blank">loyalty to President Trump continues to reshape GOP primaries nationwide.

• Trump gave Paxton a last-minute endorsement in the runoff.

What they're saying: "Tonight is the beginning of the fight to preserve every value we hold dear," Paxton told supporters, referring to his upcoming general election campaign against Democrat James Talarico.

• "I've always supported the Republican ticket, and I intend to do so again in this general election," Cornyn told supporters in Austin. "I've said throughout this race that I trust the voters of Texas, and they made their decision."

By the numbers: With 59% of the votes counted at 8:45pm, Paxton had 63.2% of the vote compared to Cornyn's 36.8%.

• https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/texas-primary-runoff-results-us-senate/" target="_blank">The AP called the election in favor of Paxton an hour after polls closed Tuesday.

Zoom in: Paxton successfully cast the race as a referendum on the party establishment, energizing grassroots conservatives while dodging concerns about the legal scandals and https://www.axios.com/2023/05/27/texas-ag-ken-paxton-impeached" target="_blank">impeachment fight that dogged much of his tenure as attorney general.

• The race became one of the country's most closely watched Senate primaries, https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2026/04/15/texas-senate-talarico-record-fundraising" target="_blank">fueling millions in fundraising and https://www.axios.com/2026/02/05/john-cornyn-texas-senate-primary-ad-spending" target="_blank">outside spending.

What we're watching: Cornyn and his supporters warned that the outcome could https://www.axios.com/2026/03/02/gop-worry-texas-senate-primaries" target="_blank">complicate Republicans' efforts to hold the seat in November against https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2026/04/29/talarico-cornyn-paxton-texas-poll" target="_blank">Talarico, a state representative from Austin.

• Paxton's win gives Democrats a potentially more polarizing Republican opponent than Cornyn.

Reality check: A Democrat hasn't won a statewide office in Texas in more than three decades.

Go deeper: https://www.axios.com/2026/05/09/trump-midterms-primary-endorsements" target="_blank">Trump's ruthless midterm power play