Texas GOP Senate primary heading to Cornyn-Paxton runoff, CBS News projects

CBS News projects Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton volition beforehand to a runoff successful the Texas Republican Senate primary, with neither clearing 50% of the vote.

Paxton, present successful his 3rd word arsenic lawyer general, is challenging Cornyn, present serving his 4th term, who has besides been successful Republican leadership. The GOP's Senate run limb has poured millions into Cornyn's campaign. 

The runoff is scheduled for May. 26. President Trump has not yet endorsed successful the primary.

By Feb. 23, much than $110 cardinal had been spent connected tv ads successful the record-breaking Senate superior race, according to AdImpact, which monitors advertisement spending.

Mr. Trump, meanwhile, said helium liked each 3 candidates. The trio appeared with him astatine a rally successful Corpus Christi implicit past weekend. Mr. Trump endorsed successful astir of the House races successful Texas and respective of the state-level races. 

The president's endorsement was nary tiny substance for the candidates, and a February survey from Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs recovered that 55% of Republican superior voters polled said they'd beryllium much apt to ballot for a campaigner if that campaigner had Mr. Trump's backing. 

Cornyn, 74, has ne'er faced a superior superior challenger, and successful 2020, helium won much votes successful the authorities than Mr. Trump. Cornyn served arsenic the bulk whip during Mr. Trump's archetypal word and earlier that, arsenic the GOP league vice seat and president of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Senate GOP's run arm.

Paxton has a beardown basal of enactment and is simply a adjacent state of the president. The three-term lawyer wide led the suit successful 2020 to contention the predetermination results successful 4 states that erstwhile President Joe Biden won. The Supreme Court tossed the lawsuit 4 days aft helium filed it. 

Paxton besides spoke astatine Mr. Trump's Stop the Steal rally connected Jan. 6, 2021, astatine the Ellipse, which occurred hours earlier thousands of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. Paxton falsely blamed antifa for the violence. 

During the Biden administration, Paxton was 1 of the astir prolific suit filers among attorneys wide — successful November 2024, helium celebrated his 100th suit against the administration. 

Cornyn , meanwhile,has touted his legislative grounds successful pushing Mr. Trump's docket arsenic good arsenic his blimpish credentials, but Paxton and Hunt person attacked him for his comments during the 2016 predetermination and aft the 2020 election. 

Cornyn argued that Republicans would look a "Election Day massacre" if Paxton won the primary. The legislator has taken a hard-right crook connected anti-Muslim sentiment and focused connected Paxton's idiosyncratic scandals. Paxton, meanwhile, has argued that Cornyn's enactment for Mr. Trump is "all fake to triumph a primary." Hunt has besides attacked Cornyn's age. 

In 2023, Paxton was impeached successful a 121-23 ballot by the GOP-controlled Texas Legislature connected 20 counts, including bribery and maltreatment of nationalist trust. He was accused of utilizing nationalist wealth to wage a $3.3 cardinal colony successful a suit brought against 4 whistleblowers who said they were fired for retaliation. 

The authorities Senate held a proceedings connected 16 of the counts, with condemnation connected a azygous number being capable to region him from office. But a condemnation connected immoderate of the counts required two-thirds of senators to ballot successful favor, oregon astatine slightest 9 Republicans to transverse the aisle. Only 2 Republicans voted for immoderate of the counts, leaving him acold abbreviated of conviction, and helium remained successful office.

Mr. Trump, not successful bureau astatine the time, congratulated Paxton connected his acquittal. Paxton vowed revenge connected the Republicans who led the complaint to impeach him successful the House, and the Republican House talker astatine the time, Dade Phelan, hardly squeaked by successful a superior against a Paxton-backed challenger and near his enactment position. And authorities Rep. Andrew Murr, seat of the House impeachment committee of managers — who gave the opening and closing statements — did not tally for reelection. 

But the high-profile proceedings inactive damaged Paxton. Among the accusations was that Paxton had pressured an subordinate to prosecute a pistillate with whom helium was accused of having an affair. The pistillate was called to attest but it was postponed and ne'er happened for reasons that were ne'er disclosed. 

Paxton's wife, Angela Paxton, was a authorities legislator astatine the clip and was barred from participating but she sat done the proceedings and was allowed to vote. Although she celebrated the verdict astatine the time, she filed for divorcement successful 2025 connected what she described arsenic "Biblical grounds."

"I judge matrimony is simply a ineffable covenant and I person earnestly pursued reconciliation," she wrote connected societal media astatine the time. "But successful airy of caller discoveries, I bash not judge that it honors God oregon is loving to myself, my children, oregon Ken to stay successful the marriage. I determination guardant with implicit assurance that God is ever moving everything unneurotic for the bully of those who emotion Him and who are called according to His purpose."

In an unrelated case, Paxton was indicted successful 2015 by a Collin County, Texas, expansive assemblage connected 2 first-degree felony charges of securities fraud and a third-degree felony complaint of nonaccomplishment to register. If convicted, helium faced up to 99 years successful prison. 

Paxton denied immoderate wrongdoing, pleaded not blameworthy and aft 9 years, the charges were yet dismissed successful a woody wherever helium agreed to wage restitution and execute assemblage service.