WorldTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton ousted four-term U.S. Senator John Cornyn on Tuesday, riding President Donald Trump's endorsement to a lopsided victory for the Republican Senate nomination.Ken Paxton, longtime Texas attorney general, has fended off scandal and will face Democrat James TalaricoThomson Reuters · Posted: May 27, 2026 6:54 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 5 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.Ken Paxton speaks Tuesday on primary run-off election night event after winning the Republican party's nomination, in Plano, Texas. (Tony Gutierrez/The Associated Press)Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ousted four-term U.S. Senator John Cornyn on Tuesday, riding President Donald Trump's endorsement to a lopsided victory for the Republican Senate nomination.The race was called shortly after polls closed in Texas's westernmost counties, which are in a separate time zone from most of the ‌state. As of Wednesday morning, Paxton had over 63 per cent of the vote, according to reports from multiple U.S. media outlets."Without a shadow of a doubt, I will be the Democrats' No. 1 target in November," Paxton said in his victory speech. "Texas will be the radical left's No. 1 priority, but … we're not going to let them take it."Paxton's win will force Cornyn into retirement early next year — and the Republican political establishment in Washington into embracing a candidate it has long opposed. Cornyn told supporters ‌he will back the Republican ticket in November."I've said throughout this race that I trust the voters of Texas, and they made their decision, and I must respect it," he said in his concession speech. Cornyn, 74, was backed by Republican leadership in the fight of his political life against Paxton, a 63-year-old, scandal-plagued attorney general ​who won Trump's endorsement last week.Sen. John Cornyn speaks in Austin on Tuesday night after his defeat was confirmed, surrounded by, from left to right, daughter Danley Cornyn, wife Sandy Cornyn and daughter Haley Cornyn. (Ashley Landis/The Associated Press)In backing Paxton, Trump chose loyalty over electability as he continues to ‌flex his iron grip over Republican voters. This month, Trump's endorsement of Republican primary challengers ousted incumbents including Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy and Kentucky House Rep. Thomas Massie. Cornyn, unlike some Republicans who have angered the president, voted against Trump's impeachments in 2019 and 2021. Recently, he was initially against eliminating the Senate's 60-vote filibuster in order to muscle through legislation favoured by the White House, to Trump's chagrin.Cornyn's attempts to get himself back in the president's good graces — he posted a photo of himself reading Trump's The Art of the Deal — and proposed legislation to rename a stretch of interstate in Trump's honour were ultimately for naught.AnalysisTrump purged his Republican critics. Here's why he could soon regret itThomas Massie's defeat in Kentucky highlights strong night for Republicans endorsed by TrumpPaxton was impeached by the Texas House, indicted for felony fraud, reported to the FBI by his top aides and is being divorced by his wife, though he has denied any wrongdoing. Angela Paxton, a state senator, shared her endorsements for a number of Texas races Tuesday but did not make a public endorsement in the contest featuring her estranged husband.He will face Democratic state representative James Talarico in a high-profile race that ​could help decide control of the Senate and may become one of the most expensive in U.S. history. Talarico, 37, is a Presbyterian seminarian and leading fundraiser whose campaign has appealed to independent and moderate voters. Paxton's supporters quickly attacked his past comments about a non-binary God and six biological sexes, with ​Paxton and the Republican National Committee chairman calling him "Tala-freak-o."Democrats feel Paxton is beatableSenate Republicans' campaign arm warned in an internal memo last year that a Paxton nomination "would hand Democrats ⁠an opening to flip Texas and cause Republicans ⁠to divert hundreds of millions of dollars that would otherwise be spent winning key battlegrounds."Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate over Democrats, who would need to net four seats in November's election to take control of the chamber. Democrats are on defence in two states Trump won in 2024 — Georgia and Michigan— but could win the chamber by holding those two ⁠seats and flipping North Carolina, Maine, Ohio and Alaska.WATCH | Trump statements, fixation on 2020 loss worry Democrats:Why Democrats are afraid Trump is about to rig the midterms | About ThatFebruary 4|Duration 2:54Andrew Chang explains U.S. President Donald Trump's call for the Republicans to 'nationalize' elections ahead of the upcoming midterms and how it's at odds with the reason given by his press secretary.