Texas GOP Senate Primary Runoff: Trump-Backed Ken Paxton Destroys John Cornyn
Texas voters head to the polls today to choose between Republican John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton for the GOP Senate nomination.
The polls close at 7 PM CT.
Cornyn is GONE
54% of the votes are in but it’s obvious that Paxton will face off against James Talarico in November.
At 8:55 PM ET, Paxton has 63% of the vote compared to Cornyn’s 37%, according to The New York Times.
WOW.
JUST IN: The Associated Press PROJECTS that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will DEFEAT incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Texas GOP Senate primary runoff.
A RINO BL00DBATH! pic.twitter.com/9BH9k0P6lW
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) May 27, 2026
Cornyn’s election night gathering consists of a handful of people, mostly from the media. Therefore, I cannot call it a party.
Media assembling at election night HQ for Sen. John Cornyn about 20 minutes before the polls close. pic.twitter.com/T1wl1BiBqE
— John C. Moritz (@JohnnieMo) May 26, 2026
Democrats have not held a Texas Senate seat in 30 years. I don’t know why they think it will happen now since Talarico is a far-left progressive.
“A state President Trump won by nearly 14 points isn’t going to elect James Talarico — a radical leftist who thinks God is nonbinary and that Texas should be a welcome mat for illegals,” NRSC Regional Press Secretary Samantha Cantrell said, according to Fox News. “He is the most dangerous flank of the far left. Texas isn’t swapping brisket for open borders.”
You also cannot blame the Jews in this case as many did after Trump-backed Ed Gallrein defeated Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) last week.
Update 8:45 PM ET
Rep. Christian Menefee demolished Rep. Al Green (D-TX) in the primary for the 18th Congressional District.
Holy moly. Menefee won 68.6% to 31.4%.
Texas’s redrawn Congressional map made Green’s 9th District GOP-friendly. So Green did what every career politician did.
Green decided to run in a Democratic safe seat in the 18th District.
Yeah, that didn’t work too well, did it?
In an incumbent vs incumbent race, 1st term Texas Rep. Christian Menefee defeats 11th term Rep. Al Green in tonight's redrawn Houston area #TX18 Democratic primary runoff election per AP. @cspan pic.twitter.com/8EGr5lEg2R
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) May 27, 2026
Original Reporting
The primary led to a runoff since Cornyn received only 43.1% of the vote compared to Paxton’s 40%.
The winner needed 50% or more.
Cornyn has been in the Senate since 2002.
The race is also another test regarding President Donald Trump’s influence.
Trump refused to endorse a candidate prior to the primary.
After the primary, Trump insisted he would endorse someone while encouraging the other person to drop out.
The endorsement for Paxton came on May 19, with Trump calling him “a true MAGA warrior.”
The winner will face Democrat James Talarico. The Democrats fantasize about snatching a Texas Senate seat, feeling 2026 could be their year.
For some reason, Talarico leads in most general election polling, but not by much.
Maybe that will cool off once the GOP has a set candidate.
The Cook Political Report rated the Senate race as Likely Republican but said it would make it official if Paxton wins the nomination.
“Democrats maintain that they could make this race competitive even if Sen. John Cornyn emerges as the nominee, but we’re skeptical of that argument,” the organization wrote in its race summary.
