Texas Republicans delivered a seismic shift on May 26, 2026, handing Attorney General Ken Paxton a decisive victory over incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the GOP Senate primary runoff — while also nominating a hardline successor for Paxton’s attorney general seat and ousting an incumbent on the Texas Railroad Commission.
More than 1.38 million ballots were cast in the high-profile Senate runoff, according to the Texas Secretary of State and Associated Press tallies.
Democrats, meanwhile, are still trying to break a statewide losing streak that dates back to 1994 — the longest in the nation — with no Democratic candidate having won a statewide office in Texas in more than 30 years.
Texas Republicans delivered a seismic shift Tuesday night, handing Attorney General Ken Paxton a decisive victory over incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the GOP Senate primary runoff — while also nominating a hardline successor for Paxton’s AG seat and ousting a Railroad Commission incumbent.
Texas Senate Primary Sets Spending Record
The night’s biggest race didn’t stay suspenseful for long. The race for the Republican Senate nomination was called for Paxton shortly after polls closed Tuesday night, and the margin wasn’t close – roughly 64% for Paxton, 35% for Cornyn.
Cornyn becomes the first Republican senator in Texas history to lose his own party’s nomination – a hard landing for a Washington career that has lasted for more than 20 years. He had everything you’d expect a frontrunner to have: establishment backing, name recognition, and money. What he didn’t have was Trump’s backing.
The President endorsed Paxton one week before the vote, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Cornyn had barely edged Paxton in the March 3 primary – 42% to 41% – but the runoff made it crystal clear how much Trump’s endorsement reshuffled the race in Paxton’s favor.
Despite that shift in momentum, the money gap remained enormous.
In the runoff alone, Cornyn raised roughly $13.6 million compared to Paxton’s $7.6 million as of early May, while Cornyn and allied outside groups still heavily outspent Paxton’s side, per Ballotpedia.
Altogether, the primary and runoff combined became the most expensive Senate primary contest in Texas history, according to Bloomberg, with nearly $130 million spent on advertising.
“Thank you, Texas. Together, we just made history. Now, we must unite to defeat the most well-funded, radical Democrat in America,” Paxton wrote on X after the win was officially announced.
Thank you, Texas. Together, we just made history.
Now, we must unite to defeat the most well-funded, radical Democrat in America. Join my team and donate to get in the fight: https://t.co/rQl0P2UnWU pic.twitter.com/VwdZbS3hte
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) May 27, 2026
Coryn posted on X as well, citing a bible verse:
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7:
— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) May 27, 2026
Trump also commented on Paxton’s victory, with Paxton reposting Trump’s remarks from Truth Social:
THANK YOU TEXAS! @KenPaxtonTX will be your NEXT U.S. SENATOR! MAGA! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/HnDhO8D7e9
— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) May 27, 2026
Paxton will now face Democratic nominee and Austin state Rep. James Talarico in the November general election.
Attorney General: Middleton Defeats Roy
The race to fill Paxton’s AG seat told a similar story. State Sen. Mayes Middleton of Galveston beat Congressman Chip Roy – 56% to 44% – per Ballotpedia, a notable turnaround for a candidate who began the cycle as an underdog.
Middleton, who closely aligned himself with Trump and invested nearly $17 million of his own money into the campaign, emphasized Roy’s previous criticisms of the President, per The Texas Tribune. This included Roy’s 2021 statement that Trump’s actions surrounding January 6 were “clearly impeachable.”
Additionally, Roy’s support for Ron DeSantis during the 2024 Republican presidential primary represented a departure from Trump, which seemed to negatively impact Roy’s standing with many GOP primary voters.
Middleton will face Democrat Nathan Johnson, a state senator from Dallas who won his party’s runoff Tuesday, in November.
Railroad Commission: Bo French Ousts Incumbent
Former state party chair Bo French ousted incumbent Jim Wright in the Republican runoff for Texas Railroad Commission, claiming the nomination for the three-member body that regulates the state’s oil and gas industry.
“I am deeply grateful for the support of TX Republicans across our state. Our campaign focused on defending oil and gas, and putting America First—and that’s exactly what I will continue fighting for as we turn our attention to radical Democrat Jon Rosenthal,” French wrote on X.
I am deeply grateful for the support of TX Republicans across our state. Our campaign focused on defending oil and gas, and putting America First—and that’s exactly what I will continue fighting for as we turn our attention to radical Democrat Jon Rosenthal. https://t.co/fkiqFpA25V
— Bo French (@bofrench) May 27, 2026
The race became one of the most closely watched GOP primaries in Texas this cycle, with both candidates competing for support from the party’s conservative base. French won the nomination by a narrow margin – roughly 51% to 49%, per Ballotpedia.
Congressional and Legislative Contests
North Texas also saw a few notable congressional runoff results Tuesday night. In Dallas County, former Congressman Colin Allred defeated incumbent Julie Johnson in the Democratic primary for Texas’ newly redrawn 33rd Congressional District, as reported by The Dallas Express. The win marks a political comeback of sorts for Allred, who previously represented a Dallas-area district before his 2024 Senate run. He’ll now advance to the general election in a race expected to draw attention from both parties.
Meanwhile, in Austin-area District 37, Republican Lauren B. Peña won her GOP runoff with about 58% of the vote and will face Democratic Congressman Greg Casar in November.
Abbott Responds: ‘Let’s Roll to Victory’
In a statement provided to The Dallas Express, Governor Greg Abbott rallied the Republican Party to drive victory in November:
“Tonight, Texans chose strong conservative leaders who will fight to keep Texas safe, prosperous, and free. A united Republican Party will drive victory, and with the primaries complete, we are laser-focused on delivering a decisive win in November. Together, we will crush the socialist Democrats’ dream of turning Texas blue with the same failed policies that have brought chaos to states like California, New York, and Minnesota. Texans have rejected the Democrats’ agenda of open borders, soft-on-crime policies, and higher taxes before, and they will reject it again this November. Congratulations to our Republican nominees. Now, let’s roll to victory,” Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement provided to The Dallas Express.
