Who won the GOP race for Senate in Texas?
FOX 7 Austin • • nation
Key Points:
- Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn lost the Texas GOP Senate runoff election to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who will now face Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in the November 3 general election.
- Both Paxton and Cornyn had previously trailed Talarico in hypothetical head-to-head polls, with voters divided on who would be a stronger challenger against the Democrat.
- The runoff race was marked by intense negative campaigning and record-breaking spending, with Cornyn spending over $16 million and Paxton about $3.7 million on ads.
- President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton late in the race, breaking his silence, while Texas GOP Chair called for an end to negative ads, a request Cornyn did not fully embrace.
- Cornyn has held his Senate seat since 2002, while Paxton has been Texas Attorney General since 2015 and has faced multiple controversies during his tenure.