Paxton Scores Huge Win in Texas

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won the Republican nomination for US Senate on Tuesday, defeating four-term Sen. John Cornyn. Paxton was endorsed by President Trump last week. His victory in Tuesday's runoff makes Cornyn the first Republican senator from Texas to lose the party's nomination for reelection, the AP reports. Trump endorsed Paxton as part of his effort to dislodge GOP officeholders he views as less than devout in their support of him. Cornyn said in 2023, as Trump was running to return to the White House, that his time "has passed him by."

Cornyn had not faced a close result in a general election during more than 20 years in the Senate, the New York Times reports. Cornyn led Paxton in the March 3 primary but did not receive a majority of the vote, forcing Tuesday's runoff. Cornyn's campaign and allied groups spent roughly $109 million on advertising for the primary and runoff. He had the backing of Senate GOP leaders who said he would be the stronger general election candidate. Paxton's victory, however, appears to have been overwhelming: According to DecisionDesk HQ, he had a 25-point lead with more than 60% of the vote counted. Paxton will run against state Rep. James Talarico in November.