Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a combative, scandal-dogged disruptor who had the backing of President Donald Trump and his MAGA movement, delivered a thrashing to four-term Sen. John Cornyn in Tuesday’s Republican Senate primary runoff in the Lone Star State. Cornyn, an even-keeled establishment Republican who took pride in his mastery of the legislative process, was trailing 37.4 percent to Paxton’s 62.6 percent at 9 p.m. Eastern time, when The Associated Press called the race. Cornyn narrowly won the first round in March, but that was before Trump offered a late endorsement to Paxton last week. The lopsided results cap a tumultuous and expensive intraparty battle that unfolded over 15 months and epitomized the rifts shaping the Republican Party in the Trump era. Paxton repeatedly portrayed Cornyn as insufficiently loyal to a president who maintains an iron grip over Republican primary voters, even as the president’s popularity slides with other sectors of the electorate. “Today, change was on the ballot and change won,’’ Paxton told his supporters at a victory party in Texas. “We just proved that this Senate seat doesn't belong to Washington, it belongs to you, the hardworking men and women of this state. We went up against $150 million and all the attacks in the world and you know what happened? The voters declared loud and clear a simple truth that we know in our hearts and in our souls — Texas is not for sale.” Paxton, who has faced allegations of financial impropriety, ethical lapses and infidelity, will compete against Democrat James Talarico in November.Cornyn had asserted that Paxton’s political baggage would make him a weak opponent against Talarico, one of the Democratic Party’s most prodigious fundraisers, and would jeopardize the GOP’s majority in that chamber.In brief remarks after the race was called, Cornyn noted his long career in politics. “I’ve spent most of my time in the Senate building the Republican Party in Texas … and I've always supported the Republican ticket,” he said. “I intend to do so again in this general election. I've said throughout this race that I trust the voters of Texas, and they made their decision, and I must respect it.” Cornyn’s defeat marked another victory for Trump as he targets Republicans he has viewed as insufficiently loyal. It comes a week after Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie lost his primary to a Trump-backed challenger. And Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, who drew the president’s wrath for his vote to convict him at his 2021 impeachment trial, failed to make a top-two primary runoff earlier this month after being sidelined by a Trump-endorsed opponent, Rep. Julia Letlow, and state Treasurer John Fleming. Throughout the campaign, Senate Republicans backed Cornyn and amplified many of his attacks on Paxton. On Tuesday, Samantha Cantrell, a regional press secretary for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, released a statement that attacked Talarico — and made no mention of Paxton. “A state President Trump won by nearly 14 points isn’t going to elect James Talarico — a radical leftist who thinks God is nonbinary and that Texas should be a welcome mat for illegals,” Cantrell said. “He is the most dangerous flank of the far left.” House results Several key House races were also decided by Tuesday’s runoffs. The Texas Legislature, at Trump’s urging, last year redrew the state’s congressional map, setting off a scramble in several districts. In the Democratic runoff in the redrawn 18th District, centered on Houston, freshman Rep. Christian Menefee, 38, vanquished 11-term Rep. Al Green, 78. Menefee was leading 68 percent to 31 percent just after 8:30 p.m. Eastern time, when the AP called the race. The two were thrown together after lawmakers redrew Green’s current district, the 9th, to make it more favorable to the GOP. Meanwhile, in the now open 9th District, Army veteran Alex Mealer, who had Trump’s endorsement, defeated state Rep. Briscoe Cain, who had the backing of GOP Gov. Greg Abbott. Meanwhile, former Rep. Colin Allred is favored to return to the House next year after defeating Rep. Julie Elizabeth Johnson in the Democratic primary in the deep-blue 33rd District, centered on Dallas. Allred, a civil rights attorney and former NFL linebacker, represented the 32nd District for three terms but left to run for the Senate in 2024. Johnson, a former state representative, succeeded him. After Allred lost his Senate bid, he launched a second Senate run last year, but later dropped out of the race and pivoted back to running for the House. Under the new maps, heavily Democratic sections of the 32nd District were shifted into the neighboring 33rd, which is currently held by retiring Democratic Rep. Marc Veasey. Johnson opted to run in the redrawn 33rd, as did Allred. One of the strangest races unfolded in the newly redrawn San Antonio-area 35th District. Bexar County Sheriff’s deputy Johnny Garcia defeated Maureen Galindo in the Democratic runoff that had party leaders feeling relieved. Galindo, a sex therapist and housing advocate, has called for converting an immigration detention facility into “a prison for American Zionists,” drawing outrage from top Democrats and accusations that the GOP is funding ads propping up her campaign because it perceives her as the weaker general election candidate. Garcia had the support of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the campaign arm of the Blue Dog Coalition, among others. Garcia will compete against the winner of the Republican runoff, Air Force veteran Carlos De La Cruz, the brother of Texas GOP Rep. Monica De La Cruz. Carlos De La Cruz defeated state Rep. John Lujan, according to the AP.
