Trump-backed Paxton wins Texas primary run-off, ousting veteran senator
Republican nominee will square off against Democrat James Talarico in a high-stakes November battle for control of the US Senate
US President Donald Trump further cemented his grip over the Republican Party on Tuesday as his favoured candidate in a bitter Texas primary run-off, scandal-plagued Ken Paxton, trounced incumbent Senator John Cornyn.
Paxton’s resounding victory, quickly called by Fox News and CNN after polls closed, underscored Trump’s continued power to make or break Republican political careers - even as lawmakers on Capitol Hill begin to rebel over the Iran war, his White House ballroom project and a compensation fund for his allies.
Cornyn, a four-term senator and former Republican whip, began the year as the establishment favourite.
Trump’s late endorsement transformed the race, giving Paxton a decisive boost and leaving Cornyn as the latest Republican incumbent punished after falling out of step with the president.
The result once again exposed the central tension facing Republicans ahead of November’s midterm elections: a Trump endorsement can be decisive in a primary, but the president often favours hard-right candidates whom party strategists fear could prove weaker in a general election.
Paxton, Texas’ attorney general, has survived years of legal, ethical and personal scandal, including a 2023 impeachment by the Republican-led Texas House, allegations of bribery and misconduct and a messy divorce.