Paxton projected to win Texas Senate GOP runoff, defeating incumbent Cornyn

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton volition triumph the Senate superior runoff for the GOP nomination, CBS News projects, unseating longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn successful a seismic displacement for Republicans successful the Senate. 

Paxton volition look the Democratic nominee, authorities Rep. James Talarico, successful November. A Democrat has not won a statewide contention successful Texas since 1994, and has not won a U.S. Senate contention successful the authorities since 1988. 

Cornyn, a four-term incumbent who erstwhile served successful Senate GOP leadership, had received the astir votes successful a three-way superior contention with Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt successful March, but the contention precocious to a Paxton-Cornyn runoff aft nary campaigner won a majority. 

Paxton received President Trump's endorsement past week, and Hunt besides backed Paxton. The president said Paxton "has ever been highly loyal to me," and called Cornyn a "good man" who "was not supportive of maine erstwhile times were tough."

The contention is the astir costly superior successful history.

The Senate GOP run limb had invested millions successful the contention to decision Paxton, and Senate Republicans had believed it would beryllium easier to support the spot against Talarico with Cornyn astatine the apical of the ticket. 

Asked past week whether the president's endorsement of Paxton would marque it much hard for Republicans to clasp onto power of the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune replied that "the bulk runs done a batch of antithetic states."

It's the latest triumph for a Trump-endorsed campaigner taking connected an incumbent who ran afoul of the president: Sen. Bill Cassidy earlier this period did not beforehand to a runoff successful that state's superior aft Mr. Trump backed a challenger, and Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky mislaid a superior past week against a Trump-backed candidate. 

Paxton was archetypal elected Texas lawyer wide successful 2014, aggressively taking connected the Obama medication erstwhile helium assumed office. He past became a adjacent state of Mr. Trump's, going truthful acold arsenic to file the lawsuit challenging erstwhile President Joe Biden's triumph successful the 2020 predetermination successful Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia and Wisconsin. That lawsuit was tossed retired by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Paxton besides has a past of ineligible issues related to his relation arsenic lawyer general. In 2015, helium was indicted connected securities fraud charges, but they were aboriginal dropped successful 2024 as portion of a pre-trial diversion deal. In 2023, helium was impeached for bribery, dereliction of work and disregard of authoritative duties by the GOP-majority Texas House of Representatives successful a 121-23 vote. He was aboriginal acquitted by the authorities Senate. Mr. Trump posted a connection successful enactment of Paxton aft the trial.