Longtime incumbent and state attorney general will face off May 26 after no candidate secures majority in record-breaking contest.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Texas’ closely watched Republican Senate primary is headed to a May 26 runoff after no candidate secured a majority of the vote Tuesday, setting up a high-stakes rematch between longtime Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Multiple outlets projected that Cornyn and Paxton would advance to the runoff. According to CNN’s projection, Cornyn received 42.8% of the vote while Paxton earned 40.6%, with 62% of ballots counted as of 11:00 p.m. EST. Decision Desk HQ similarly reported that the two candidates would move on to a head-to-head contest in May, as noted in its election update.
Rep. Wesley Hunt, who entered the race five months ago, finished third with 12.9% of the vote and will not advance.
Shortly after it became clear the race would continue into a runoff, Paxton signaled confidence in his prospects. “I’ve been in two statewide runoffs … and never won by less than 30 points, and I don’t plan on starting now. The victory we’re going to secure in this election will be even sweeter than the last ones,” Paxton said, according to political reporter Patrick Svitek.
Cornyn responded by sharply criticizing his opponent. The senator described Paxton as a “flawed, self-centered and shameless candidate,” Svitek reported, adding that Cornyn condemned what he called the attorney general’s “indefensible personal behavior and failures in office” and warned, “Judgment day is coming for Ken Paxton.”
The contest has drawn unprecedented spending. Cornyn’s campaign and allied groups invested heavily in advertising, committing $10 million from early voting through Election Day. According to reporting cited here, Cornyn’s allies have spent more than $50 million on advertising. Overall, more than $125 million has been spent on ads in what AdImpact described as the most expensive Senate primary on record, according to the firm. As of Feb. 27, Cornyn and his allies had spent roughly $69 million compared with approximately $4 million by Paxton’s side.
Paxton enters the runoff amid continued scrutiny over past controversies. His wife filed for divorce earlier in the campaign, citing “biblical grounds” and alleging an extramarital affair. He has also faced securities fraud allegations, ethics complaints, and an impeachment effort.
President Donald Trump declined to endorse a candidate before the March primary, referring to the three contenders as his “friends” during a visit to Corpus Christi, as reported here. Trump described Cornyn as “a great senator” and Paxton as a “great Attorney General.”
The extended Republican contest provides Democratic nominee James Talarico — who defeated Rep. Jasmine Crockett in his party’s primary — with several months to focus on the general election while Cornyn and Paxton continue their intraparty battle.
Internal polling from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which backs Cornyn, suggested differing general election scenarios. The survey showed Cornyn leading Talarico by three points in a hypothetical matchup, while Paxton trailed Talarico by three points. In other projections, Cornyn led Crockett by seven points, and Paxton trailed her by one.
Appearing on Fox News, Cornyn acknowledged the possibility of a Democratic pickup. “Absolutely,” he said when asked whether Democrats could flip the seat.
“There’s a chance of that and that’s the only reason why Talarico and Jasmine Crockett are running,” Cornyn said. “Jasmine Crockett said ‘if I’m the nominee Democrats can’t win’ and yet she decided to run and I think she’s doing that on the hope that Ken Paxton is the nominee with all the scandals and baggage.”
With neither Republican securing a majority in March, the race now shifts toward a May 26 runoff that will determine who carries the GOP banner into the November general election.
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