Ken Paxton Wins Texas Runoff, What Is A Runoff Election Explained
Ken Paxton won the Texas Republican Senate runoff after Donald Trump backed him in mid-May, settling the party’s nomination fight after what is a runoff election became the central question in a race that had been narrow and costly. The result gives him the Republican nomination in a state where the party’s Senate choice now heads toward the general election against Democrat James Talarico.
Paxton thanked President Trump on stage in Plano, Texas, and said, “When everyone in Washington told him to abandon me and abandon the people of Texas, he didn’t listen.” John Cornyn conceded and said, “Over the next seven months of my service in the United States Senate, I intend to continue my work to help make this nation a better place for all Texans and all Americans,” as the runoff closed a contest that had divided Republican money and endorsements.
Trump’s May Endorsement
The race changed in mid-May when Trump endorsed Paxton, upending a fierce primary between Paxton and Cornyn. Paxton had been a Republican candidate for Texas Senate, while Cornyn was the sitting senator trying to keep the seat in Republican hands.
That endorsement came after March 3, when the primary election took place and neither candidate settled the contest outright. The runoff followed the first round and served as the party’s final vote for the Senate nomination.
Barrasso Backs Paxton
John Barrasso added support on election night with a social media post that said Paxton “has my endorsement and support.” Paxton walked off the stage in Plano to “Thunderstruck,” the AC/DC song played after his victory remarks.
The same election night also featured other Texas runoff contests. Vikki Goodwin and Marcos Vélez were competing in the Democratic primary runoff for lieutenant governor, Mayes Middleton and Chip Roy were fighting for the Republican nod in the race for attorney general of Texas, and Nathan Johnson was facing Joe Jaworski for the Democratic nomination for attorney general of Texas.
Cornyn’s Seven Months
Cornyn’s concession speech left him with seven months left in Senate service, and he said he intended to keep working during that period. The result also closes one of the most expensive Republican contests in the state, with the Senate Leadership Fund having left Texas out of its initial $342 million in ad reservations while Mayes Middleton put in more than $17 million of his own money and Alex Fairly donated more than $6 million to Chip Roy.
For Texas Republicans, the practical next step is the general election campaign with Paxton as the nominee and Talarico as the Democrat seeking the seat. The runoff settled the party fight, but it also left the broader Senate contest in place.
