Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton advanced to a runoff later this year after neither candidate achieved 50 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s Senate GOP primary, causing some Republicans to worry about their chances of holding onto the seat.
Tuesday night’s result showed some surprising strength for Cornyn, who had trailed Paxton in most public polls leading up to Election Day. Republicans widely expected the runoff when Rep. Wesley Hunt, who finished third, jumped into the race last fall.
Cornyn and his allies spent over $100 million to defeat Paxton, highlighting his political and personal baggage, like his recent divorce, accusations of infidelity, ethics complaints, and impeachment proceedings.
“I’ve worked for decades to build the Republican Party, both here in Texas and nationally,” Cornyn told his supporters in a brief speech on Tuesday. “I refuse to allow a flawed, self-centered, and shameless candidate like Ken Paxton risk everything we’ve worked so hard to build over these many years.”
Paxton garners substantial support from a devoted following stemming from his decade-long tenure as Texas’ top lawyer. He has consistently aligned himself with President Donald Trump, actively supporting his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Trump has not endorsed anyone in the race.
“We just sent a message loud and clear to Washington. We are not going to go quietly, and we are not going to let you buy the seat,” Paxton told supporters on Tuesday.
Democrats believe they have a shot at flipping Texas, bolstered by a wave of enthusiasm within the party and backlash to the Trump administration over its immigration and economic policies.
