Texas State’s Senate Race For Primary – Runoff Between 2 Fierce Members
As things stand now, Democrat James Talarico has won the Democratic primaries, taking Jasmine Crockett’s place for the upcoming Texas State Senate Race Primary due to be held Nov. 3, 2026. Looking at the GOP right now, they are looking at a runoff as AG Ken Paxton and incumbent John Cornyn. What is happening and what can people look forward to for the Texas Senate Primary?
Texas State Senate Primary GOP Runoff
Texas Senate race interview on Fox News with Wesley Hunt
The Republican nominees for the Texas Senate Primary were close between Cornyn and Paxton, with the two being neck and neck much of the day. U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt’s race having drawn significant ears and eyes is what led to neither candidate having enough votes, resulting in a runoff. After having lost the race, Hunt vowed undying support for whomever the people of Texas decide to win the Republican Primary. In his concession speech, he did not endorse either Cornyn or Paxton.
The battle between AG Paxton and current Senator Cornyn has been fraught with extreme amounts of campaign funds deployed to the tune of $71 million in ad spending, shedding light on scandals, affairs, and other unsavory attacks according to the Texas Observer. While Hunt had won a decent amount of the constituents over, Cornyn and Paxton appeared to be separated by a few mere percentage points.
Personal Attacks Fly
The Texas Senate GOP runoff is looking to be more flash than substance as Cornyn lobs personal attacks in his opponents direction on election night, “I refuse to allow a flawed, self-centered and shameless candidate like Ken Paxton risk everything we’ve worked so hard to build over these many years…. Judgement Day is coming for Ken Paxton.”
It would appear the feud between the two is very personal, with Paxton firing his own shots at Cornyn in regards to his age and attempts to hold his power position in the Senate that he has built over two decades. Defiantly, despite not leading against Senator Cornyn, Paxton was quoted as saying, “After all the personal attacks … after all the lies, you listened to what John Cornyn was selling and you weren’t buying.”
AG Paxton is running against someone who has held the seat ever since 2002, he isn’t giving up without a fight. As of this time, Trump has not endorsed either candidate though it has only been a short time since the runoff for Texas Senate GOP has been announced. The next 12 weeks will see a bitter fight between the two as they fight and claw to get the Texas Senate seat.
Expensive Texas Senate GOP Race
Just how much spending will happen? It’s been reported that this campaign is the most expensive intra-GOP showdown in the country, vast amounts of it spent on TV advertisements. Everything keeps coming back to personal attacks in regards to Paxton, but one thing that may give him the edge is Cornyn’s own vulnerability in finding common ground with the Democrats. Republicans and die-hard Trump followers might not be so willing to forgive and forget him telling Republicans that it is time to finally move on from President Trump in 2024.
As the Texas Senate GOP runoff proceeds, it will be important to keep abreast of developments between these two as we approach the final showdown between these two powers. May 26, 2026 is the date set for Texas voters to head back to the polls to select who will face off against Talarico for the seat in Nov. Only time will tell whether or not Trump decides to give an official endorsement to either candidate and whether or not it will be in time to sway any potential voters in their direction.
