Texas Sen. John Cornyn loses Republican runoff to Ken Paxton
The gist
Four-term Texas Sen. John Cornyn lost the Republican runoff to Attorney General Ken Paxton by 28 points.
Cornyn has since withheld an endorsement, leaving the seat to a Paxton–Talarico race.
How it unfolded
- Jan 16, 2026Four-term Sen. John Cornyn is described as facing the political fight of his long career against two Republicans claiming closer ties to Trump; he could become the first Republican Texas senator to lose renomination.
- May 26, 2026Attorney General Ken Paxton beats Cornyn by 28 points in the Republican runoff; Cornyn concedes in Austin that night and says he will support the Republican ticket.
- May 27, 2026Paxton's win was evident early, with more than 60% of the vote to Cornyn's under 40% by 8:30 p.m. after polls closed at 7 p.m.