Ken Paxton's decisive victory over four-term Senator John Cornyn in Texas's Republican primary runoff delivered a stark reminder that Donald Trump's endorsement remains a formidable force in GOP politics. Paxton, the state's attorney general, cruised to victory and promptly credited the former president for the win.
"When everyone in Washington told him to abandon me and abandon the people of Texas, he didn't listen," Paxton said of Trump. "President Trump is the leader of our party, and his endorsement is the most powerful force in politics."
Trump had dubbed Paxton a "true MAGA warrior" before the vote. Cornyn, first elected to the Senate in 2002, becomes the first Republican senator from Texas to lose his party's nomination for reelection, a stunning fall for a 22-year incumbent.
The result caps a string of successful Trump-backed primary challenges this cycle. The former president has successfully supported challengers against Republican lawmakers he deemed insufficiently loyal in Louisiana, Kentucky, and Indiana as well.
Cornyn acknowledged the loss with grace. "After a public service career lasting more than four decades and 18 consecutive campaign wins, tonight we've come up short in this primary runoff," he said. "I've always supported the GOP ticket. I intend to do so again this general election."
Paxton now faces Democrat James Talarico, a pastor and state legislator whose populist message has gained traction. A Talarico victory in November would mark the first Democratic win for statewide office in Texas in more than 30 years, a stunning reversal if it materializes.
The race carries outsized significance as a test of Trump's enduring sway with primary voters heading into the midterm elections.
Author James Rodriguez: "Cornyn's loss shows primary voters still answer to Trump more than establishment Republicans, and that's reshaping the party's direction in ways we're only beginning to see."
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