Here's the latest
• Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will defeat incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican Senate primary runoff, CNN’s Decision Desk projects. Paxton will advance as the GOP nominee to face Democrat James Talarico in November in one of the country’s highest-profile US Senate races.
• Paxton secured President Donald Trump’s endorsement just a week out from the runoff election and thanked the president during his victory speech tonight in Plano, Texas. “His endorsement is the most powerful force in politics,” he said.
• There are several other notable races on the ballot that highlight deep divides within the two major parties. One key race is in the 35th Congressional District, where Democrats are trying to stop a candidate criticized for making antisemitic remarks from winning the party’s nomination.
Sen. Ted Cruz congratulates Paxton on winning the GOP nomination
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz congratulated Ken Paxton on his primary win in the runoff for the Republican US Senate nomination and thanked his senior colleague, incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, for his service.
Cruz also thanked Cornyn for his years of service to Texas.
“I also want to congratulate and thank my friend Senator John Cornyn for his many years of dedicated service to Texas and our country. It has been an honor to serve alongside him for over a decade,” Cruz said.
In the wake of the protracted, divisive contest, Cruz emphasized the need for Republicans to regroup for the general election race.
Mayes Middleton will defeat US Rep. Chip Roy in GOP race for Texas AG, CNN projects
State Sen. Mayes Middleton will win the Republican runoff primary in the Texas attorney general race, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, defeating hardline conservative US Rep. Chip Roy.
Middleton has aligned himself closely with President Donald Trump’s agenda, labeling himself “MAGA Mayes,” while Roy has challenged his party’s leadership on Capitol Hill and often been a thorn in Trump’s side.
Roy, a four-term congressman and member of the House Freedom Caucus, previously served as chief of staff to Sen. Ted Cruz, who endorsed his bid for attorney general.
Middleton, who also leads a Texas oil company, poured more than $16 million of his personal fortune into the race, according to Transparency USA. His critics have highlighted his lack of legal experience as he seeks to become the state’s top lawyer.
He is seeking to replace Ken Paxton, who is projected to be the GOP candidate for Senate after defeating incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.
Paxton’s son-in-law says family is “excited” for the November election
Daniel Hayworth addressed his father-in-law Ken Paxton’s supporters at the election night victory party, capping a hard-fought runoff campaign for the Texas GOP Senate nomination that drew in the attorney general’s family.
As incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and his allies volleyed waves of attacks focused on Paxton’s messy divorce during the primary fight, Paxton’s campaign leaned on testimonials from his daughter, Mattie Hayworth, to respond.
“My dad is a really good guy. Loves God. He loves his family and he loves this country,” Hayworth said in a campaign video, having also published a column for the conservative publication Texas Scorecard.
Speaking Tuesday, Hayworth also leveled sharp criticism at Paxton’s new opponent, Democratic nominee James Talarico, during an opening prayer.
As he readies for the general election, Paxton urges supporters to donate to his campaign
As he celebrated his GOP runoff victory on Tuesday night, Senate nominee Ken Paxton made an appeal to his supporters: Donate to my campaign.
Paxton trailed Sen. John Cornyn in fundraising throughout the contest, prompting questions among some Republicans about his ability to raise money in what will be a costly general election contest.
Paxton will face off in November against Democratic nominee James Talarico, who has been one of the Democratic party’s biggest fundraisers this cycle.
Paxton thanks Cornyn for his service in Congress
After a contentious and expensive primary campaign, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton thanked Sen. John Cornyn for his more than two decades of service in Congress.
Paxton won the Republican nomination with help from President Donald Trump in the form of a last-minute endorsement.
He thanked all voters, no matter who they voted for and said he wants to “earn your support.”
Cornyn throughout the campaign has focused many of his attacks on Paxton, with his campaign and some allied groups using some of Paxton’s scandals in his career as attorney general and in his personal life as fodder.
CNN’s Molly English contributed reporting to this post.
Ken Paxton thanked President Donald Trump in his victory speech
Attorney General Ken Paxton, after he was projected to win the Texas Senate primary runoff, thanked President Donald Trump for his endorsement.
“When everyone in Washington told him to abandon me and abandon the people of Texas, he didn’t listen. Instead, he gave his complete and total endorsement. President Trump is the leader of our party and his endorsement is the most powerful force in politics, and I’m honored to have his support, and I look forward to working with him in the Senate to deliver for Texas,” he said.
“Tonight, we just made history,” Paxton told his supporters in his victory speech in Plano, Texas. “Today, change was on the ballot and change won.”
Paxton then turned to the subject of his Democratic opponent in November, James Talarico, claiming that he is a vegan, which he is not, and attacking his support for transgender children among other issues.
"Those who show up decide for those who do not," Cornyn says
For Sen. John Cornyn, they were 10 words that spoke volumes.
“Those who show up decide for those who do not,” Cornyn said during his concession speech in Austin on the final election night of his long career.
They were not sour grapes from Cornyn, but rather a blunt assessment of the political math from the Texas Senate runoff.
For a man who played a pivotal role in creating the modern-day Republican Party in Texas, Cornyn’s disappointment at the low turnout was clear. So, too, was the math.
Talarico’s first general election ad rips Paxton as “most corrupt politician in America”
Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico released the first ad of his general election matchup with Ken Paxton minutes after his opponent secured the GOP nomination.
With the tagline, “The People vs. Ken Paxton,” Talarico’s spot seizes on Paxton’s checkered personal history and brushes with scandal, referring to him as “the most corrupt politician in America.”
In addition, the leading pro-Talarico super PAC in the race so far, Lone Star Rising PAC, also released a statement expressing its bullishness on the matchup with Paxton.
“Lone Star Rising PAC will make sure Texans know exactly what’s at stake,” the group said.
GOP's senatorial campaign ignores Paxton's win but attacks Talarico
The National Republican Senatorial Committee responded to Ken Paxton’s emergence as the party’s Texas Senate nominee by ignoring him and attacking his Democratic opponent, James Talarico.
The NRSC had backed Sen. John Cornyn, whom Paxton defeated on Tuesday night, and intensely criticized Paxton throughout the GOP nomination process, including over his divorce.
Menefee calls Green an "icon" after winning member-on-member runoff
Rep. Christian Menefee issued a statement calling Rep. Al Green an “icon” moments after the younger Democrat was projected to win a member-on-member primary runoff against the 11-term congressman.
“For decades, Congressman Green has done what so few in public life are willing to do: he has spoken truth to power, directly to their faces, without flinching,” Menefee said in a statement. “He stood in the well of the United States House of Representatives and called President Trump out to his face, even when he stood alone. That is a legacy that will outlast any election.”
Menefee was elected to Texas’ 18th Congressional District in a January special election runoff to fill the remainder of former Rep. Sylvester Turner’s term following his death. Texas Republicans redrew the state’s congressional maps last year, setting off a generational battle between Menefee, 38, and Green, 78, for the Houston-area seat.
Menefee’s statement acknowledged Green’s record as one of the more outspoken members of the party — and one of President Donald Trump’s most vocal critics.
“The causes he has championed are the same causes I carry into this work every single day,” Menefee said.
On a Paxton victory, Trump and Schumer can agree
It’s not just President Donald Trump who is tickled pink about Ken Paxton’s projected victory in Texas. Senate Democrats are giddy, too.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer issued this statement after the race was called.
That, of course, remains an uncertainty that will be playing out between now and the general election.
One thing is certain: Paxton’s projected victory will force Republicans to spend more money to defend their Senate seat in Texas.
Democrats will have to spend more, too, raising the question of whether either side will have to make spending decisions that could alter the Senate map elsewhere.
Cornyn said he will support the Republican nominee in the general election
Sen. John Cornyn said he respects Texas voters’ decision after he lost his reelection bid in a runoff to Republican Ken Paxton, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump.
The veteran lawmaker said he has always supported the Republican ticket and that he intends to continue that in November, although he didn’t name his rival by name.
Cornyn and Paxton both campaigned for Trump’s endorsement, and in the end, Trump’s backing of Paxton proved to be key for the firebrand conservative.
“There’s a simple rule in the elections, you’ve heard me say it before, and that is the candidate who gets the most votes wins. The party in the majority gets to govern and my hope is to keep my party in power for generations,” he said, adding that he will “keep the faith” as he finishes out his term in Congress.
This post was updated with more details from Cornyn’s speech.
Democratic senatorial campaign responds to Paxton's win in Texas
The campaign arm for Senate Democrats said that Attorney General Ken Paxton’s win in the Texas Senate runoff puts them “one step closer to winning a Senate majority.”
Democrats need to flip at least four Republican-held seats to capture the Senate majority.
It has long been considered an uphill battle, but Democratic officials have been encouraged by the emergence of strong candidates in Republican-leaning states, including Texas.
Cheers and whistles erupt at Paxton HQ as race is called for the TX attorney general
The mood at Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s headquarters was jubilant with many in the crowd erupting into cheers and whistles as the race was called for their chosen candidate Tuesday evening.
Many supporters of Paxton are in attendance, including Roseanne Barr and US Rep. Brandon Gill. Bo French, who is in a GOP runoff for Texas Railroad Commissioner, is also on hand this evening.
Paxton is expected to address supporters in the coming hour.
Club for Growth throws support behind Paxton
The Club for Growth is endorsing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for US Senate and wading into the general election matchup with a new video mocking Democratic nominee James Talarico.
“Move over, Davy Crockett. There’s a new Texas trailblazer in town, and his/its/their name is James Talarico,” an ad from the conservative political organization opens, echoing long-running GOP attacks against liberal politicians’ support for pronouns used by non-binary individuals.
The new spot encapsulates the messaging blitz Republicans have planned for Talarico, seizing on examples of his progressive rhetoric and threaded with personal ridicule. On theme, the video makes several references to an already burgeoning Republican talking point — that Talarico is a vegan, which he isn’t.
And it reflects heightened expectations for a competitive fall race between Paxton and Talarico in the typically red state, as Republicans emerge from their runoff bruised and drained, and with Talarico posting blockbuster fundraising numbers and building momentum.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott congratulates Paxton after staying neutral in the primary
Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, who stayed neutral in the state’s Senate primary runoff, quickly congratulated the winner, Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who was another top Texas Republican to stay neutral through the race, also congratulated Paxton on his “overwhelming victory” over Sen. John Cornyn.
A "blowout win" for Paxton, CNN's John King says
It was a “blowout win” for Ken Paxton, defeating incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, CNN’s John King said.
For Cornyn, a 24-year-old veteran Republican, if he had any chance to win, he had to perform well in the city centers and the suburbs around Texas’ most populous areas, King said.
Paxton is winning or holding his own in those key places. In the counties where Cornyn is leading, he is not leading by enough, according to King.
In rural counties, Paxton has received 70% or 60% of the vote in some places.
Sitcom star Roseanne Barr expresses support for Paxton
Sitcom star Roseanne Barr is throwing her support behind Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. She told CNN tonight that she’s supporting the candidate because she loves him, her state and her country.
The former star of the show “Roseanne” also emphasized her support for President Donald Trump.
Remember: In 2018, controversial tweets from Barr resulted in the cancellation of her hit ABC series. See more about what led to her firing here.
Paxton, with Trump’s endorsement, will defeat Cornyn in Texas Senate runoff, CNN projects
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will defeat Sen. John Cornyn in the runoff for the Republican US Senate nomination in the Lone Star State, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, ending a bitter, expensive contest that divided the party and has given Democrats hope for the general election.
President Donald Trump’s late endorsement of Paxton proved pivotal, clarifying his preference for Republican voters after weeks of indecision. Paxton and Cornyn both campaigned hard for the president’s backing – Paxton at one point even gambling on a promise to consider dropping out of the race if the Senate abolished the filibuster to pass Trump’s voting bill.
But while Republican congressional leaders favored Cornyn as a stronger general election candidate, Trump’s choice was guided by his affinity for Paxton and his fraught personal relationship with the veteran incumbent senator – in particular Cornyn’s 2023 comment, since walked back, that Trump’s time “has passed him by.”
White House officials said Trump had been feeling emboldened after helping unseat Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and a group of Indiana state lawmakers earlier this month, amounting to a hot streak of political revenge.
The endorsement came too late, however, to avoid the prolonged runoff, during which Cornyn and his allies pummeled Paxton with about $23 million worth of brutal attack ads, highlighting the attorney general’s myriad brushes with scandal, and carving divisions within the party.
Now, bruised and drained from the most expensive US Senate primary on record – costing just under $130 million in total, according to AdImpact data – Paxton and Republicans will regroup for the general election matchup with Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, whose campaign has galvanized his party and fanned hopes of a breakthrough in the reliably red state.
It's 9 p.m. and polls are closing across West Texas
It’s 9 p.m. ET, and polls across West Texas are now closing in the primary runoff election. Polls across the rest of the state closed earlier this evening.
