Trump Triumphs in Texas: Former President Unseats Incumbent Senator John Cornyn

In a riveting twist in Texas politics, Attorney General Ken Paxton has unseated sitting Senator John Cornyn in the closely watched Republican primary for the U.S. Senate. This unexpected victory marks a significant moment in the state’s political landscape.

Paxton, who is 63 years old, managed to outmaneuver the 74-year-old Cornyn in Tuesday night’s runoff. This victory was largely propelled by the influential endorsement he received from former President Donald Trump just last week, a move that significantly shifted the dynamics of the race.

John Cornyn, a political stalwart who has represented Texas in the Senate since 2002, found himself at the end of a 23-year tenure. Despite his long service, Cornyn’s inability to secure Trump’s endorsement, despite months of effort, highlighted the former president’s powerful grip on the Republican Party. Cornyn’s criticism of Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with his disapproval of Trump’s actions around the January 6 Capitol Riot and the 2020 election certification, likely influenced Trump’s decision.

With Paxton’s primary win, he now gears up for what promises to be a fiercely contested general election against 37-year-old Democratic candidate James Talarico. The upcoming race is sure to be a battleground for both parties, drawing national attention to Texas once again.

Paxton’s victory means he will compete in a heated general election against 37-year-old Democratic candidate James Talarico.

Serving as Texas Attorney General since 2015, Paxton is a close Trump ally who has backed many of the President’s most audacious projects, including a 2020 Supreme Court case to nullify Joe Biden’s election victory. 

He has also been publicly shamed by his estranged wife for infidelity, even as he’s shacked up with his mistress in a tony Dallas suburb.  Paxton has spent a decade dogged by ethical and legal troubles, including a securities fraud indictment, impeachment, and allegations of bribery – surviving it all.

‘He’s gotten away with so much for so long,’ Cornyn told CNN this week. ‘He is an embarrassment.’  

Trump’s preferred candidate, Ken Paxton, defeated Senator John Cornyn in Tuesday’s primary runoff 

Paxton defeated incumbent Senator Cornyn in Tuesday’s primary election after the President endorsed the Texas Attorney General last week 

Trump and Paxton in Texas in 2020 

None of that scared away Trump, who places personal loyalty above all else.  

‘TEXAS, REMEMBER! Ken Paxton was a GREAT Attorney General, probably the best in the Country. He was also very loyal to your favorite President, ME,’ Trump posted on social media this week.

In a sign of the lingering bitterness from the primary, the NRSC – the official Senate campaign arm in Washington – avoided mentioning Paxton in its statement on the race Tuesday night, choosing instead to solely attack Talarico as a ‘radical leftist.’ 

Senate Republican leadership worked for months to get the President to endorse Cornyn. The leaders reportedly wanted to avoid a messy and expensive primary between two Republicans – though that is exactly what happened. 

Roughly $130 million has been spent on ads in the Republican-on-Republican Texas primary, according to AdImpact, with Cornyn easily outspending his challenger.

Cornyn’s late-stage effort to appease the President also proved unsuccessful. 

The Senator offered a bill to rename a highway after Trump and even flipped his long-held position on the filibuster after increasing pressure from the White House. 

Trump did not formally endorse Paxton until a week ago. His former campaign manager Chris Lacivita worked for Cornyn while the head of the President’s political operation, James Blair, backed Paxton, creating a rare divide among Trump’s tight-knit team. 

Cornyn’s defeat is another scalp for the President’s team that has upended several of Trump’s GOP targets.

Congressman Thomas Massie and Senator Bill Cassidy – both Republicans who drew Trump’s ire – were defeated in their recent primary elections after the President endorsed their opponents. 

Trump also saw that state level lawmakers in Indiana were defeated after they defied the President and did not back his redistricting plan. 

The President and his allies were quick to celebrate the victory of their preferred candidate.