What to expect in the Texas US Senate Republican primary runoff
PBS • • nation
Key Points:
- U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, the four-term incumbent, and state Attorney General Ken Paxton, endorsed by former President Trump, are headed to a runoff in the Texas Republican Senate primary after the March 3 primary results.
- Trump's endorsement of Paxton signals his ongoing effort to replace incumbents he views as disloyal, making this race a key test of his influence within the GOP ahead of the 2026 midterms.
- Cornyn performed better in counties with lower Trump support, while Paxton led in counties where Trump received over 80% of the vote, highlighting the importance of Trump loyalty in the primary.
- The winner of the runoff will face Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in the general election, with Democrats hopeful of an upset in the traditionally Republican state amid historical trends against the incumbent president's party in midterms.
- Texas primary runoff polls close at 7 p.m. local time on Tuesday, with early and absentee votes already counted; the Associated Press will declare a winner only when the outcome is mathematically certain.